Arguably the greatest preacher and champion of Christ’s gospel who ever lived was the apostle Paul. Hand-picked by Jesus Himself to preach to the Gentiles, you might think Paul really didn’t need much help and that doors flew open for his ministry work. But this wasn’t the case. Closing out what we know as the second chapter of Philippians, Paul defends the importance of his beloved brothers in Christ, Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Searching Paul’s epistles, we see that in nearly half of them he opened his letters with greetings which included Timothy (see Phil 1:1, 2 Cor 1:1, Col 1:1, Philemon 1:1, 1 Thes 1:1 and 2 Thes 1:1) and he is mentioned by name over 20 times throughout Paul’s writings. While it is not believed that Timothy contributed content to Paul’s epistles (he was not an apostle, but instead called an evangelist; see 2 Tim 4:5), he was closely connected with these letters, perhaps transcribing or copying them for Paul, and assisting with delivery and distribution. Timothy’s service was integral in getting these letters to the Gentile churches.

Acts 16 tells us that Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Jewish-Christian mother, and was likely saved during Paul’s first missionary trip to Lystra. Paul took an immediate liking to Timothy and requested that he begin traveling with him throughout the region. The good he saw in Timothy appears to have been revealed to Him by the Lord through prophecy, as noted in 1 Tim 1:18 and 4:14.

While Paul may have had other helpers besides Timothy, he laments that he has “no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your [the Philippians’] welfare.” Indwelt with the Holy Spirit, Timothy loved others just as Christ commanded (cf: John 13:34) and served the church at large with tireless, selfless passion. We see Paul’s deep love and affection for this man in his personal letters to Timothy; this young disciple made a major impact on the apostle and the ministry that truly continues to this day.

In this passage we are also reminded that the call of Christ is not a means to gain and that it requires we sacrifice our own desires for the sake of the Lord and others. Paul bemoans that those around him “all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.” What a sad statement, but certainly one that was not only valid then, but is also quite relevant today. How many times do we see so-called Christians that have only their interests at heart? They use the name of Christ to obtain power, fame, money, and admiration – yet all are lethal snares. We must strive to put these worldly desires to death when we claim Christ, and actively fight to avoid being sucked into these venomous traps of the enemy.

A final reflection from this passage is that Christianity is not a solo sport. It requires unity in the one true faith, cooperation in ministry, and the honest desire to do the hard work needed to not only share the gospel, but also develop true disciples of Christ. It’s not a one-and-done deal – it is ongoing, arduous, and most of the time far from glamorous. Perhaps this is why the Lord Jesus tells us that when we give we must not make it known to others or let it go to our head (cf: Matt 6:3). God rewards humble, heart-felt service that comes from a place of Spirit-led willingness and gratitude.