Partnership in the Gospel (Philippians 1) (The Road Less Traveled)

One of the most important qualities of the Christian life is thankfulness. I have tried to be a thankful Christian and taught my children to be the same.

That’s why the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is so interesting in terms of thankfulness. It is a key insight into genuine partnership, an essential element of the Road Less Traveled.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians concludes with the theme of partnership where he coined the phrase in the matter of giving and receiving:

"It was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in thevere matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:14-19 NIV)

In this passage, Paul thanked the Philippians for their support and returned to the topic of partnership. In this case, Paul used a Greek form of koinonia defined as, one who partakes jointly; a participant; a copartner in service.

Here again, we see Paul referring to the Philippians as his partners in ministry, and again we see that material support and financial giving were an integral part of their partnership with him.

While Paul dedicated his time to the expansion of Christ’s kingdom, the Philippians were a crucial partner with him through their material, emotional, and spiritual support.

What is significant for our study is the way Paul thanked the Philippians. Gordon Fee suggests that Paul had a certain sensitivity about not being accused of acting in greed or like some kind of snake oil salesman.

Therefore, even Paul’s thank you was careful and qualified. We summarize it in this table.

I do agree that Paul was concerned about being perceived as a religious profiteer, but I think something else is going on as well.

To be specific, I think Paul was directing the Philippians to consider their gift as credited to their account before God, as ultimately a gift and an offering to God, fragrant, acceptable, and pleasing—likely a reference to the pleasing fragrance of an Old Testament offering — that provided for Paul’s ministry work.

Again, we see that our offering—our gift—is ultimately a gift to God. Supporting a missionary like Paul was an act of worship, and it still is today.

Giving to God and for God

So, what can we learn for today from our study of these Philippians passages?

The key takeaway is this: When we give to our local church, support a missionary, fund a Christian project, or give to God’s work in any other way, we are giving to God. 

We are not investing in a ministry but rather making an offering to God. We may be pressing the “Donate” button online, putting cash in the offering plate, or sending a check for a Bible translation project, but we are actually giving to God an offering that He finds pleasing and acceptable.

On the Road Less Traveled, Pastors and Christian leaders are teaching this biblical principle and talking in these biblical terms.

Another important message is that when we give, God credits it to our account. In other words, God takes note when we express our heartfelt love for Him through our giving (Matthew 6:19-24).

Imagine how this biblical perspective on giving—clearly and unashamedly communicated by pastors and Christian leaders—would change for God’s people their paradigm of giving. Put simply, we give our tithes and offerings to God and for God.

That said, pastors and Christian leaders can still talk about being partners in the gospel. Paul clearly appreciated the partnership he shared with the Philippians.

Besides, when God’s people give money to the church to support the staff of the church or give money to support a missionary or to fund a church project, a partnership is automatically formed.

And may both parties nurture that partnership with prayer, communication, friendship, and the communion of giving and receiving.

Saying, “Thank You”

In 2010, Every Generation Ministries launched The Titus Project: its purpose was to teach the principles I’ve been writing about in this blog, to our ministry leaders around the world.

To that end, we received the largest grant in the history of our ministry from a Christian foundation in California. Our two organizations developed what could genuinely be called a partnership.

My second meeting with the foundation involved my being introduced to the principal funder. Running late, I think I drove into the parking lot on two wheels, my son, and my wife in tow. Pulling into a parking spot, I jumped out of the car… without putting it into park.

So of course, the car rolled forward… over the curb… and into some bushes. I jumped back into the car and threw it into park without braking. The car lurched back and forth—and I jumped out. My shirt hanging half out, I looked completely disheveled. And then I glanced up.

Watching from the balcony were the principal and the executive director of the foundation. The car was still rocking in the bushes, I looked like an idiot, and they laughed. Thankfully, the grant was not dependent on my professionalism or proper deportment.

The next time we met, I sat across from the executive director and told him I’d had a tough time driving to the office. I explained I’d been on that same road just a few weeks earlier: I had taken my mother-in-law to USC Medical Center… from which she never returned, passing instead into the Lord’s presence.

With tears in his eyes, the executive director told me about his mother’s passing just a few days earlier. Sadly, just before her death, he had called his mother at her assisted-living facility, and she refused to answer the phone. He then called a nurse, asked the nurse to go to his mother’s room, answer the phone when he called, and then give the phone to his mother.

Doing exactly as the executive director requested, the nurse answered the phone and handed it to his mother… who told the nurse, “I don’t want to speak to him.” Those were the last words he ever heard from his mom. She passed away shortly thereafter. She passed away before the two of them had resolved some major relational issues.

We were no longer grantor/grantee nor giver/receiver. We were Christian brothers mourning together.

We prayed for each other.

Then, before my next reporting trip I made to the foundation, I realized that one of the countries where we’d planned to do The Titus Project wasn’t going to be able to participate. Since part of the grant was designated for that country’s participation, I had the EGM office cut a check for $16,000 to give back to the foundation.

During the meeting with the foundation’s leaders, I explained what had happened and handed them the check. They looked aghast. Then they started laughing. I learned that giving money back to the foundation was a first. I also learned it was probably illegal, so they designated the funds for another country.

At the end of the project, EGM prepared a full report, and I went to the foundation’s office to give thanks to God and to them for their gracious partnership in the gospel. At the end of the meeting, they told me that when they disburse grants, they’ll get a receipt… but sometimes not even a thank you.

Partnership is a communion of giving and receiving that involves thankfulness.

Can We Save the Term?

Rob Martin—one of my mentors—summed up the road-less-traveled perspective with the rich term the communion of giving and receiving:

“When a communion of giving and receiving exists, there are no artificial limits on what can be accomplished, experienced, or exchanged. There can be abundance and scarcity of what is needed for the harvest within all parts of the missional effort. One might involve prayer warriors organizing around the world who can be mobilized on short notice, while another raises funds for needed tools and another funds the expertise to use the tools. Each needs each other—and many others as well. We are, after all, engaged in a common task with a common outcome as our goal." (When Money Goes on Mission; pg. 35)

Together, we are partners with God and with each other; we are partners in the gospel. All of us are serving God in His harvest field of ministry. Sometimes we are giving; at other times we’re receiving.

A Coptic bishop in Egypt once told me that this—to use Rob’s words—communion of giving and receiving is like a nursing mother with her child. The mother is giving, and the infant is receiving, right? That’s not the whole story.

The infant is meeting that loving mother’s need to nurse her baby. Sometimes we are like the mother, and other times we are like the babe. And this image of mother and child reflects Paul’s understanding of partnership in ministry. We share in both the giving and the receiving.

When it’s our turn to receive, our thanking God for the gift of support shouldn’t keep us from thanking the people who first gave the gift to God. And that leads to my closing thought… which—I warn you—is something of a rant about the overuse and even abuse of the term partner.

The word partner has been ruined by television preachers, and I can hardly speak it because of the charlatans who, using it in such a cavalier fashion, have raised millions of dollars for their lavish lifestyles, all the while being thankful for their “partners.”

Years ago, a local newspaper captured a video of one of the local world-famous televangelists standing at the end of a very long banquet table. He was holding up an American Express Black credit card to pay the thousands of dollars for a dinner attended by the leadership of his television ministry.

He waved the card overhead and crassly blurted out, “Thank you… partners!” Even writing about that moment causes my skin to crawl! Hopefully, the Christian community can find a new word to replace partner, …. just so long as it’s not investor 😊!