“I hope…in the Lord Jesus…to send Timothy to you soon…”  (Philippians 2:19)

If Paul’s hope is first built upon A PERSON (The Lord Jesus Christ) than his hope is secondarily built upon A PEOPLE. His hope extends to other people (who also face discouragement and anxiety) who have equally built their hopes upon Jesus as Lord. In fact, as we continue our reading in Philippians 2, we begin to see exactly what Paul is hoping for “in Christ.” He writes: “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.” (2:19) 

Paul was in a prison in Rome, writing to the first church that he planted, located in Philippi which is modern day Greece. The journey from Rome to Philippi would have taken 7 weeks (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise). Paul reveals to us in this text that his hope was grounded in the wellbeing of the believers at Philippi. So that, regardless of his current imprisonment, Paul would find great encouragement (so that I too may be cheered) to learn of the ongoing faithfulness of the believers at Philippi. This underscores the importance of living in biblical community with other believers. In 1st Corinthians 12 Paul commands the believers to “rejoice with those who rejoice” and to “mourn with those who mourn.” We are commanded in the same chapter to have the same concern for one another. 

Paul placed his “eternal hope” in the PERSON of Jesus as Lord, but he also placed his “temporal hope” in A PEOPLE under the Lordship of Christ by living in community with other believers. Jesus is Paul’s hope in death, but Jesus was also Paul’s hope in life through his participation in the “church” which is simply the gathering of believers in a local fellowship. Paul received GREAT encouragement from the believers in Philippi because he made GREAT investments in the believers in Philippi. How invested are you in the lives of other believers? Might the Lord be calling you into greater fellowship through biblical community? What might be your “next step” towards greater connection within the church? Our hope, like Paul’s, is often found in the encouragement of other believers during our seasons of imprisonment! 

Jimmy Carter