Philippians 4:20-23
One of the greatest means of encouragement among new or small congregations is inter-congregational fellowship and relationship. It helps a group of Christians not to be so isolated, but to feel a sense of belonging to a larger body of believers. Paul seemed to always have brethren with him from one area when he was working in another. In the Chimbu Province of PNG, we worked to do the same thing. There was such a bond among the congregations that even when we left the country for months, or even years, when we went back most of the churches were still growing and thriving. They would work together to evangelize new areas and continue to fellowship with each other regularly, even if it meant a walk of many hours to get there.
Paul expressed this kind of relationship to the Philippians in our text when he said; The brethren who are with me greet you. (4:21) that is, Paul’s co-workers in Rome sent their greetings. Also the Roman church sent their greetings as well when Paul said, All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household (4:22). In the church, there is a bond which goes beyond the local congregation, area, or even country. We have a worldwide fellowship with a common source of strength and identity. That identity is IN Christ Jesus.
Paul sent his greeting to every saint in Christ Jesus (4:21). The saints in Rome also sent their greetings to the saints in Philippi. There was a bond of love there. The saints would be all the ones in Philippi and Rome who had been cleansed by the power of the mercy of God found in the shed blood of Christ. Every member is a saint. If they are not a saint, they are not a member of Christ’s body. God has sanctified each of us (1 Cor. 1:2). Being a saint does not mean that one is always without fault and better than the general populace. It simply means he or she has been forgiven and set apart by God for the holy service of God, and as we serve, we grow to be more like Him. So the next time you come to worship, just look around and realize that you are looking at real living saints!
God deserves all the glory because He is totally in control. He has worked in every unusual circumstance in the life of Paul to bring him in contact with teachable people. As a prisoner in Rome, we are told that he would have been attached to a Roman soldier by a short chain (Note: Acts 28:16, 30-31, Eph. 6:20 & 2 Tim 1:16). Yet for two years, he was free to preach and his guards heard every lesson. People were free to come to him. Phil 1:12‑14 says, Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Even though Paul was a prisoner, God enabled him to help the church grow and connect with people he would have never met otherwise.
The Praetorian Guard was made up of 9,000 of the best soldiers in the empire, with 3,000 of them always stationed in the city of Rome to protect Nero and do his bidding. In the city, they did not wear their armor, but rather dressed in a toga with their sword strapped to their side. Within the city, they also did the duty of the police force. Being a praetorian guard was a duty of privilege and they were paid 1 times the pay of a common legionnaire in the provinces as well as extra benefits and bribes. They could retire after only sixteen years of service instead of the 20-25 years required in the provinces. Paul’s imprisonment became known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and through them to everyone else because it was their duty to guard this unique preaching prisoner. Some of Nero’s household became Christians (Phil. 4:22), and as we mentioned, they sent their greetings to the church in Philippi. Caesar’s household probably would have been some of these soldiers, some of Nero’s family, or some of the hundreds of people that worked on his behalf. Nevertheless, it is still amazing how God can take any circumstance and bring good from it. That is His promise (Rom 8:28). As Paul wrote in Phil 4:20, Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
For the Master’s Cause,
Andy Scott