Paul is sending Timothy to the Philippians, and soon. His desires, however, and even his expectation, is that he himself will be able to go to them as well.

You can see his desire in Philippians 2:23-24:

Paul is sending Timothy to the church in Philippi. Timothy is concerned for the believers in Philippi. His efforts for the gospel are first-rate. He is the logical choice to send.

And, in fact, Paul expects to do just that, as soon he sees how things will go with him. Just what he means by this is uncertain.

The most obvious conclusion is that Paul’s legal problems are being referred to, and that may well be the case. He is in prison, and needs the help that an outsider, such as Timothy, could give. And with his trial looming in the uncertain future, it may be expedient to only send Timothy once things in that area have been nailed down. The added benefit to this is that Timothy would be able to bring the Philippians news of Paul’s continued imprisonment or imminent release.

Another consideration, though, is that Paul may have been referring to personal needs, or a concern for the church. It may surprise many that at this point, Paul is probably in his 70s or even 80s. And prison is no easy thing for anyone, even without the frailties of age. Granted, Paul’s imprisonment in Rome may have been more of a “house arrest,” but he still would have needed the assistance Timothy could give, and he may not have had anyone else that he could depend upon.

One thing is sure though: his concerns, whether for the church or his own needs, legal or otherwise, apparently did not fall into the category of verse 21, where Paul states that everyone looks out for their own interests. This is likely due to his concern for the the sake of gospel above all else.

Paul fully expects to go to Philippi soon. He has longed for this already in this letter to the Philippians, in 1:8, 1:26 and 2:12. Whether or not he has an indication of good news or not is undetermined, but Paul is optimistic. And this is his final word on the subject. Apparently, he was able to fully place the matter into God’s hands.

Either way, though, whether Paul was to come or not, Timothy would be able to serve the church there as needed.

The New Testament, and especially the book of Acts, is silent about Paul’s release. We have no historical record of Paul returning to Philippi. Traditions states that Paul was executed in Rome, never making it back to Philippi. Either way, Paul’s concern and love for them was great, and his prayers for offered on their behalf constantly.

That serves as an example to us all. How often do we pray for the church? Either globally or locally? Do you take time on a regular basis and pray for the believers that you journey through this life with?

I have the incredible benefit of working in a church. Because of that, I have access to the building at almost any time I desire. One of the ways I love to pray for the people of my church is by walking though the building, envisioning people in the various rooms and hallways. And I pray for them as I do so.

That may not be the same way that Paul prayed for the Philippians, but the concern and love he had, causing him to constantly pray, is an inspiration for us to do the same.

Question: How do you pray for your church? How can you do so more constantly? You can leave a comment by clicking here.