Honor your gospel servants
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
Paul now returns to matters of a more personal nature. We recall that one of the reasons he wrote this epistle was to inform the concerned believers in Philippi about his wellbeing and the progress of his trial. Paul appreciated the special, personal concern the members of his beloved congregation had shown for him. He wanted them also to know that he was just as concerned about their welfare as they were about his. So he informed them that as soon as there was definite news about the outcome of his trial, he would dispatch a personal messenger to them. Paul earnestly hoped that it would take place soon and that the news would be good, but he left it all in the hands of the Lord whom he served, the Lord who would do what was best for him and for the Philippians.
For this special mission to the Philippians, Paul had selected Timothy, his right-hand man, whom he regarded as his own son. Timothy was probably the one man Paul could least afford to spare, but the apostle also knew that Timothy was the best qualified man for this particular task. Timothy shared the apostle’s concerned and sympathetic spirit. He would understand why the apostle considered this mission so important, and he would carry it out in exactly the spirit Paul desired, so that it would bring real joy, encouragement, and mutual spiritual refreshment to the Philippians and the apostle.
Besides, the Philippians were well acquainted with Timothy. He had been with Paul when their congregation was founded and had become well acquainted with the Philippians. He felt the same cordial interest in their welfare as Paul did. Paul knew that the Philippian Christians would receive Timothy and exchange information with him freely and openly, as with a personal friend.
There were others with Paul in Rome who might have gone to Philippi for him, but he had eliminated everyone except Timothy. Some may have offered excuses. The apostle considered others spiritually immature or unqualified. Sadly, he declared, “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”
There was apparently a lack of total commitment to Christ and his cause even among some of the apostle’s coworkers. Some were unwilling to make real, personal sacrifices for Christ and his kingdom. Paul’s rather harsh words here do not apply to all the other men who worked with him. Elsewhere he has high praise for men like Luke and Aristarchus. When these words were written, however, Luke and others were no doubt gone from Rome on other missions for the apostle. Paul was obviously disappointed in many of his coworkers who were with him just then in Rome. They wanted to be known as servants of Christ, but they refused to put Christ’s work before their own interests.
This has always been a problem for the church on earth. Indeed, we are all sinners, and our service is not perfect. The apostle’s words remind us again that real commitment to Christ means willingness to place the welfare of his kingdom before our own personal pleasures and preferences. It means willingness to place his interests before our own. Let us remember that the next time we are asked to perform some sacrificial service for our Lord and his church. In fact, let’s remember it all the time.
The lack of commitment to the Lord that characterized many of his coworkers in Rome troubled Paul, but Timothy was different. Though he was still a relatively young man,
Timothy was spiritually mature. His faithfulness and reliability, even in difficult and dangerous situations, had been well established. Timothy was like a child who closely resembled Paul, his spiritual father. He shared Paul’s total commitment to Jesus and the gospel. So Timothy was the man who would represent Paul among the Philippians until the apostle himself could come to them. The Philippians were to receive and honor Timothy as they would have received and honored the apostle himself.