In the previous couple of verses, Paul expressed his desire to boast about the faith of the Philippian believers. As he finishes this paragraph in this week’s passage, you can see the urgency in his wish.

Take a look at this week’s passage in Philippians 2:17-18:

Paul uses imagery here that is very vivid. He compares his life to being poured out like a drink offering. It is generally believed that he is speaking about his own forthcoming death. It is doubtful if he means an execution, because in verse 24, he expresses hope that he will soon be released.

That means that his terminology here is more along the lines of “even if.” He has run the race. He has labored. And he is willing to die if necessary for the sake of the gospel.

He uses an Old Testament image as a means to illustrate this. A drink offering was something that accompanied a sacrifice, and was to be poured out on the altar, or at the base of it (See 2 Kings 16:13 for an example). In this case, the sacrifice stems from the faith of the Philippians, and Paul is willing to be the drink offering partnered with that sacrifice, if necessary.

It is noteworthy to remember that a drink offering was not worth anything on its own. It was to always accompany a regular sacrifice. What Paul is implying here is that the faith of the Philippian believers is what makes his offering valid. Without their faith, his efforts are in vain.

The subtle reminder to the Philippians, then, is to keep on doing what they are doing, and continue to grow in the process.

As a result, Paul is joyful and rejoices. The Philippians are growing in their faith. He is willing to meet Jesus face to face, very soon, if necessary. “To die is gain.” Paul finds all of these as reasons for rejoicing.

And in verse 18, he suggests that the Philippians should rejoice with him. They too should find joy in their service. And they too should find joy in Paul’s service. This is reminiscent of a similar phrase, also written by Paul, where he states that we should mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15).

That seems like a fitting challenge to end this section of Philippians 2. From here, Paul shifts his focus to some of his coworkers. For now, however, we can answer his call to rejoice.

Question: How are you doing when it comes to rejoicing with others because of their service and faith? What can you do to improve in this regard? You can leave a comment by clicking here.