Articles
The Philippian church
The Philippian church
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:
Paul came into the city of Philippi and converted some of the people to the new religion of Jesus. Following the guidelines of the great commission, he made disciples baptizing them into the name of Jesus, then stayed and taught them to observe all that Jesus had taught. All I can say at this point is WOW.
The book of Acts tells us little about how this actually worked out. What we know is that when Paul left Philippi he left a congregation of disciples. As we now turn to the letter he wrote to them we see such congregation included both deacons and elders (overseers, bishops, pastors).
The role of the apostles (here Paul in particular). Outside of providing the universal teaching of Jesus, the same that he taught in every church according to 1 Cor. , he would have had no direct dealings with how the little group of disciples operated on a day to day basis. That was the role of the elders and deacons. Worship details (when and where to meet, who would take the lead in such a gathering) would be decided by the brethren there as it fit their needs and abilities. How did they handle the responsibilities of evangelism in their community? Teaching and educating the disciples among them? So many questions that I would love to know!
The point of this reflection is that such a local congregation was able to exist and function. Such ins and outs of being a congregation was their business, their job, their responsibility. Everywhere these early preachers went, they established local congregations. They appointed elders in every church. They took care of being a group of disciples.
Can such local congregations exist and operate without some greater organizational structure? Did the elders need ‘archelders’ to oversee them? Did they need some organized group of men who lived in other parts of the empire and were not personally involved in the daily lives of these disciples lives to rule over them? NO. They were able to be what God wanted them to be. They were the church in Philippi. In all of this, they were ‘self-supporting’ and complete.
So it is in the little congregation I am part of today. We know of many other such local groups but we have nothing to do with their daily discipleship. Who are to be their elders? Where will they come together? So many things that have to be decided by each congregation for itself – and they do, just as we do here. Being disciples with elders and deacons we are content to conduct ourselves as disciples. We are disciples together in our local community.
I was for many years part of a different group of disciples living in a different part of our country. I moved here to take care of my aging parents. Upon arriving, I followed the example of Paul and ‘joined myself to the disciples’ here (see Acts 9:26-28). I became part of the group – involved in the ‘going in and out’ among them. While I have made myself busy helping them be disciples, they in turn have been of great support and strength in my life as I face the daily challenges that life itself presents.
I am not exceptional or a super-disciple, I am just doing what I understand are the instructions for each disciple. I believe that such is YOUR responsibility in the place where you live. It is simply part of being a disciple of Jesus. You are to be joined together with other disciples. You are to take an active part in such a relationship, allowing the local group to be “fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Eph. 4:16). Are you doing your part?
Hugh DeLong
