oversight of certain matters had been committed by the church. To the ex tent that a pastor or elder is charged with the supervision of a church, he is a bishop. Similarly, “deacons” are ministers of the church. The word is a transliteration of the Greek word for servants (John 2:5). The idea that dea cons are to be a governing board in a church, ruling its policies and regulat ing its affairs, is foreign to the New Testament. Paul’s greeting itself is: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father THE CONSECRATED CAR He couldn't speak before a crowd. He cotildn't teach a class, But when he came to Sunday school He brought the folks "en masse.'' He couldn't sing to save his life, In public, couldn't pray, But always his "jalopy" was Just crammed on each Lord's day. He'd round up all the neighbor's kids From haunts where sins besmirch, And give to them the training For Christ and for the church. And though he could not sing nor speak, Nor teach, nor lead in prayer, He listened well, he had a smile, And he was always there— With all the others whom he brought. Who lived both near and far— And God’s work prospered, for he had A consecrated car! and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The ideas involved in these words are too great for treatment here, except to say that grace is the only adequate answer to the problem of sin (Rom. 5:20). For the present, we can simply call attention to the order that exists between the two great concepts of grace and peace. Grace always comes first, then peace. The world about us says much about peace but nothing about grace, and for that reason is a stranger to both. The Christian knows the order in which they come, and the source of both — the imperial Christ.
II. Paul Begins to Pray (w . 3-11) The next paragraph before us begins and ends with praise: “I thank God . . . unto the glory and praise of God.” In the cycle between, the reader is drawn into Paul’s awareness of God’s good hand in all that befalls him. Praise and petition are commingled in perfect harmony. 1. The Prayer of Praise (w . 3-7) Praise is undoubtedly the highest ex pression of faith, and here it abounds with hope and love in a blend so per fect as to dispel the gloom of prison with the glory of heaven. Paul’s paean of praise is well grounded. It rests upon remembrance (w. 3-5) and assurance (vv. 5-7). In the loneliness of every great af fliction, memory serves a blessed pur pose. Only God could know how often Paul had thought about his friends in Philippi during the long years of im prisonment and suffering. He pays them a noble tribute when he says that all his remembrance of them was an occasion of gratitude. The making of pleasant memories for ourselves and others should challenge our noblest en deavor. It may be that our friends can not give thanks for every remembrance of us; but, by the grace of God, we can improve the record. Paul made supplication for the Phil- ippians with joy for their “fellowship in the furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now.” That kind of fel lowship is the source of sweetest mem ories always. This “partnership” in the gospel was no idle thing. It began when Lydia, the first convert, invited Paul and Silas and Timothy and Luke to make her place of business their headquarters for the preaching of the word in Macedonia. Through the more than ten years since, it had found many expressions, the last of which was the presence of Epaphroditus and the gen erous gift he had brought. There are many ways in which a person can further the gospel and by them all win the eternal gratitude, not only of those who are called to preach it, but also of those who are won by its saving power. 22
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker