For this series in Philippians, I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

2:30   for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

What is going on in this verse? Is Paul laying a guilt trip on the Philippians? This seems so out of character for this letter.

My first reading of the verse seems to imply that Paul was expecting a service from the Philippians that they were not willing to provide. But that cannot be the intended meaning, for this church is the one church we know of that repeatedly provided support for the apostle.

So when Paul brings up the “lacking in your service to me”, what in tarnation is he trying to say?

Let’s take a step back from the specific situation to the general lifestyle of believers. We are all to serve one another, to be a community of caring for one another whether we are 5 feet from our brother or 500 miles from our brother. But this physical distance makes it impossible to physically serve those who are a distance away form us. It is an impossibility!

The Philippians sent Epaphroditus to provide for Paul the funds from those in the church, and to supply assistance, or service for a period of time to the apostle. To be within “5 feet” from the apostle, providing a service to their loved apostle through the physical presence of the missionary they sent. The Philippians were lacking, (as all churches are) in providing service due to the physical world we live in. Paul is making a statement of fact, as opposed to laying a guilt trip on those he loved.

It is good to remember that we all are always debtors to our brothers, that we all owe love to our brothers and sisters. We all are debtors to our brothers and sisters.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The only One who does not owe us love is the One who provided the most scandalous love possible. He is the One who loves the most unlovely, the most hateful, despised and rejecting people imaginable. The grace of God is uber abundant!

We must remember that He is the One who, out of sheer grace, provided this love we walk in every day, and is the example for us to follow. Out of His love towards us, we are to love others.

We “owe” it to them, for He is worthy.

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