Why does Paul refer to the Philippians as partners?

Explanation:

What does Paul mean that the Philippians are partners in the gospel? Given that he specifically says his joy is because of the Philippians’ partnership from the first day, he likely has in mind their mutual sharing in the promises of the gospel.³ In other words, he accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ through faith and when he preached this message to the Philippians, they likewise shared in God’s promises in Christ. Thus, from the first day the Philippians have been partners with Paul in the gospel, as they both accept its message.

Counterargument:

This view takes it that when Paul says he has joy because of the Philippians partnership in the gospel, he has in mind their accepting the gospel. That is, Paul and the Philippians are partnership in the gospel in that they both have faith in Jesus Christ. The problem with this view is that it takes the phrase because of your partnership in the gospel in a passive sense.⁴ That is, partnership has to do with the mutual passive acceptance of faith in Christ. In reality, the Greek construction should be taken not as passive but as active. That is, when Paul refers to the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel, he has in mind an active partnership having to do with spreading the gospel and supporting him financially.⁵

Response to counterargument:

The claim here is not that Paul only has in mind their shared faith in the gospel. Rather, he has in mind their mutual faith in Christ, along with their mutual activity in support of that gospel. Faith in Christ is not simply passive but active, so that when the Philippians believed the gospel message, they not only became partners in the promises of God but they actively supported Paul in his ministry and worked to spread the gospel in Philippi. Faith in Christ is a necessary condition for their active partnership in the gospel, and Paul has in mind both their shared faith and the practical outworking of that work. It is an unnecessary dichotomy to suggest that Paul has in mind either partnering in faith or actively assisting in the material needs of the gospel.⁶ In reality, partnership has to do with both.

Explanation:

To understand what Paul means when he refers to the Philippians as partners, it is important to understand the meaning of the term partnership. The Greek term κοινωνία has to do with being a companion, partner, sharer with someone else in something.⁷ Thus partnership has to do with a close association or friendship. In fact, Aristotle uses the term when he says that all friendship involves κοινωνία. That all friendships involve κοινωνία highlights the fact that partnership is used to denote a very close relationship, including family relationships, friends, and business partners. Thus, the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel is first the fact that both Paul and the Philippians share in the benefits of Jesus Christ.⁸

Counterargument:

While κοινωνία (partnership) is used to refer to a close association, this does not mean that Paul’s use is related to the fact that both he and the Philippians share in the benefits of Christ. Rather, given that the Philippians share in the collection for the saints (Philippians 4:15), Paul likely has in mind their close partnership in supplying material and financial assistance to Paul’s missionary efforts.

Response to counterargument:

The view here is not that partnership excludes supporting Paul’s missionary efforts through financial and material needs, but that it also includes the fact that the Philippians share in the benefits of the gospel. That is, the term κοινωνία (partnership) has to do with an intimate association, which includes the fact that both Paul and the Philippians share in the exclusive benefits of Christ, and the Philippians support the ministry of the gospel through material and financial means. Given that Paul does not specify what he means by partnership, we should take him to mean partnership in the broadest possible sense, which includes the benefits of the gospel and financial provision.

Normally when we consider of the nature of a partnership we think of it in the active sense of support. Thus, we do not normally to equate partnership with sharing in the same reality. Still, by considering the original Greek term we have shown that such an understanding is sensible.

Explanation:

We want to know what Paul means when he refers to the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel. We can understand what Paul means because in Philippians 4:15 he tells us.⁹ He explains that when he left for Macedonia, no church entered into partnership in giving and receiving except the Philippians. The verb to partner is related to the noun partnership, and so Philippians 4:15 informs Paul’s meaning in Philippians 1:5. And in Philippians 4:15 partnership has to do with taking part in the collection for Paul’s ministry. Thus, when Paul refers to the Philippians partnership in the gospel in Philippians 1:5 he has in mind that the Philippians gave financial and material gifts for Paul’s ministry.¹⁰

Counterargument:

The problem here is that Paul uses the noun partnership three times in this letter, so we need to consider each usage in order to understand what Paul means in Philippians 1:5. Aside from Philippians 1:5, Paul uses partnership to refer to the Philippians relationship with the Holy Spirit. That is, in Philippians 2:1, Paul says if the Philippians have any encouragement in Christ, any partnership in the Spirit, they are to be of one mind. Of course, one does not support the Holy Spirit either financially or materially, so Paul does not have material support in mind here. Further, in Philippians 3:10 he uses the same term to refer to partnering in the suffering of Christ, in order to become like him in his death. Again, the term in this context does not have to do with material support. So, if we are going to use other instances of Paul’s use of the term partnership, we ought to consider each use in this letter. And when we do, we find that the term is a multifaceted term that means intimate association, fellowship, and material partnership.

Explanation:

We want to know what Paul means when he refers to the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel. Interestingly, we get a clue from 2 Corinthians 8:1–5. There Paul recounts to the Corinthians that by the grace of God, the Macedonian churches gave beyond their means for the advancement of the gospel. That is, the Macedonians begged Paul that they could contribute to the relief of the saints, that is, give financial gifts for the poor in the churches. And of course, Philippi is located in Macedonia. Added to this, we know from Philippians 4:15 that when Paul left Macedonia, the Philippians were the first church to give. Thus, when Paul says that he has joy because of the Philippians’ partnership, he likely has in mind their generous gifts for the poor.

Counterargument:

There is no doubt that the Philippians gave financial gifts to support Paul’s ministry. Further, it is likely that when Paul refers to the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel, he has in mind their willingness to give. Still, the context of Philippians 1:1–30 suggests that Paul has more than financial giving in mind when he refers to the Philippians partnership in the gospel. That is, he explains that his imprisonment has furthered the gospel by giving the believers’ boldness to speak the Word of God (Philippians 1:12–14). In other words, the ministry that the Philippians support, both financially and materially, is bearing fruit. Still, Paul goes on to encourage the Philippians to live a life worthy of the gospel, and to stand firm in one spirit (Philippians 1:27). He then explains that as believers in Christ they will engage in the same suffering that Paul experienced (Philippians 1:30). In other words, he not only shares with the Philippians that their financial gifts help advance his mission, but he calls them to live out the gospel themselves. The Philippians will learn that partnering in the gospel has to do not only with material giving but also with living out the gospel and suffering for it.¹¹

The weakness of this view is that it overlooks the depth of the meaning of the term κοινωνία (partnership). While it is natural to think of a partnership as a relationship that involves material and financial assistance, κοινωνία can have a deeper meaning. This is especially clear from Paul’s usage in Philippians 2:1 and Philippians 3:10 when he uses κοινωνία to refer to sharing in the Holy Spirit and in the sufferings of Christ.