This is the Bamel Podcast with Marty Solomon. I'm his co-host, Brent Bellings. Today we hear Paul's warm letter to the Philippians and see him express joy at their faith, love, and generosity as they follow Christ.

It has always been hard for me to believe that Paul didn't have favorites. And, uh, part of the reason I believe that is because of the letter to the Philippians.

Compared to some of his other letters, the epistle to the Philippians reads like a gushing love letter to a group of his best friends.

Now here's a question though. Yeah, yeah. It starts off Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. Did Timothy have like some part in writing this letter?

Yeah, Timothy is with Paul as he writes this letter. So that's cool. Disciple Timothy. Yeah. I don't know.

I have often wanted to try to actually figure out peel back where Timothy got placed in Ephesus. I mean, eventually when Paul will write the pastoral pistols, which is debated, but I'm going to assume that Paul did write the pastoral pistols.

I'm going to I'm going to assume for the sake of our podcast that Paul wrote all 13 letters that are attributed him traditionally.

And so I've always wanted like where Timothy, like at what point in history and the writings of letters, different things like that, the Timothy get placed as pastor and Ephesus.

So interesting, I'm just in the little question there, but nevertheless. Yeah. So Timothy is with him.

And Paul has shown us his tough sides and some of his other correspondences to the Galatians. He was astonished. He was perplexed and he was furious to the Corinthians.

He was confrontational and prophetic, demanding his voice be heard as a voice amongst the apostles, but to the Philippians Paul has nothing but joy in his heart.

Go ahead and read us some of the opening stuff here, Brent. I thank my God every time I remember you in all my prayers for all of you.

I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good working you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. Since I have you in my heart and whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you sharing God's grace with me.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Yeah.

Paul seems to go in and out of praise and encouraging exhortation. Paul will let his joy spill over into a charge for the Philippians to keep being all that God called them to be.

And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and maybe pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

And again, before the chapter is out, we find another round of praise and encouragement. Brent, we're still in the first chapter here, right?

Yep. I don't know. It gives us more.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but we'll have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

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