Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 25

Paul Gave all of Himself for the Philippian’s Sake

Philippians 2:17-18 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. KJV

Those of us who have participated in team sports know what it is at times to give an extra effort for the team because another team mate may be injured or ill or inadequate during that particular game. The extra effort does not mean one does not give his or her all during every game. Like an athletic contest or competition, the walk of faith in Christ can be a grueling and long event for some of us depending on the will of God for every person (which is very different of course). We recall the thief on the cross next to our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded for us by Dr. Luke with these words spoken by the thief and by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:42-43) (NKJV). This man when he said these words to our Lord Jesus repented of all his sins and trusted Jesus right then and there before his death, he had no earthly life left to edify the saints or to give any extra effort for some of his brethren or to preach any sermons or to witness door to door or to go to the mission field or to wash any saint’s feet or to give to Christian ministries or even to join his local Church and the list is endless: Why? Because this was the will of God for this repentant sinner to be saved and hours later to be “in paradise” with his Lord Jesus.

However, this man (Paul) who was the human hand and instrument used by God the Holy Spirit to pen 13 or 14 of the Books of the New Testament (it is 14 if you believe as I do he also wrote the Book of Hebrews) suffered, sacrificed, and supported many things for his Lord Jesus Christ (the same Lord of the thief and all who put their faith in Him): Why? Because it was the will of God for Paul as our Lord Jesus Himself told Brother Ananias with these words spoken to him, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” (Acts 9:15-16) (NKJV). Now we see Paul in this letter to these Philippian believers declaring to them, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.” (Philippians 2:17) (KJV). It was for the sake of these believers in Philippi that Paul was arrested and jailed there as he himself wrote with these words of his experience to the believers in Thessalonica, “For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God in much conflict.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2) (NKJV).

Unlike the thief on the cross next to our Lord Jesus, Paul’s assignment was to go many places delivering the only hope for sinful humanity, the Gospel of God and it cost him many things during his pilgrimage here on the earth and this is why we remember him writing earlier in this same letter to the Philippian believers these words speaking of his own inner conflict as he is in the Roman prison, “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 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.” (Philippians 1:22-26) (NKJV).

The English phrase “I be offered” Paul uses in Philippians 2:17 is translated by one Greek word spendo which is probably where we get our English words spent and spend it is a primary verb which means to pour out as a libation, that is, (figuratively) to devote (one’s life or blood, as a sacrifice) (spend): - (be ready to) be offered. In other words, Paul depleted all of his physical and spiritual energy, force, and strength having nothing left in the tank to make sure the faith of these Philippians and all the other Churches that were founded upon his declaration of the Gospel of God was solid, sure, and safe for them when they departed this earth and this life, as solid, sure, and safe as he saw his own faith ‘in Christ’ to be as we hear in these words written to Brother Timothy speaking of himself, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8) (NKJV).

Paul wants them to in turn rejoice with him even if he is killed by the Romans at this time and he says it with these words, “For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.” (Philippians 2:18) (NKJV). When Paul says, ‘for the same cause’ he is declaring their unity ‘in Christ Body’ seeing that they are brethren what hurts one hurts the other and in this case what causes one to rejoice should likewise cause the other to rejoice as Paul wrote in this manner to the Roman believers, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) (NKJV). Paul is rejoicing over them and over his life’s blood being poured out for their faith, if this is the will of God for him right now, therefore, they should not weep for Paul, but rejoice with him, for this is exactly what Paul knew he was sent and commissioned by God to do, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3) (NKJV).

“Paul felt the same love for all the Churches and all the saints and he expended himself completely of physical and spiritual resources for their faith, even when that same loved and sacrifice was not returned back to him as we here in these words he wrote to the Corinthian believers, “For what is it in which you were inferior to other Churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong! Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” (2 Corinthians 2:13-15) (NKJV). Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

“That Paul should have felt warranted in using such a motive with the Philippians tells how surely he reckoned on their true and deep love. He believes that they care enough for him to feel the power as a motive with them, that their faithfulness will make Paul more blessed amidst the blessings of heaven. Oh! if such love knit together all Christian teachers and their hearers in this time, and if the ‘Day of Christ’ burned before them, as it did before him, and if the vision stirred to such running and labouring as his, teachers and taught would oftener have to say, ‘We are your rejoicing, even as ye are also ours in the Day of our Lord Jesus.’ The voice of the man who is in the true ‘Apostolic Succession’ will dare to make the appeal, knowing that it will call forth an abundant answer, ‘Look to yourselves that we lose not the things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.’” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…