During Paul’s second missionary journey, a man from Macedonia appeared to him in a vision asking him to come over to Macedonia and help them (Acts 16:9). Paul, realizing that this was a call from God to preach the gospel in Macedonia, did not hesitate to answer the call. The first place Paul preached in Macedonia was the city of Philippi. By the power of God and His saving gospel, Paul was able to convert some souls to Christ, and the local church at Philippi was established. The relationship that Paul maintained with the Philippians was perhaps the best one he had with a local church. He thought of them as his joy and crown (Philippians 4:1), and they were always in his heart (Philippians 1:7). Theirs was a relationship that epitomized Christianity.

About ten years after establishing the local church at Philippi, Paul wrote them a letter while under house arrest at Rome. The letter was one of his most positive ones as he copiously praises them for their faithfulness to God and kindness to him. He shares his appreciation for their partnership in the gospel (1:5), and thanks them for their financial support which they had given him from the beginning (4:15-19). Paul doesn’t reveal any bitterness concerning the imprisoned condition he finds himself in, but, instead, assures the brethren that the things which were happening to him have resulted in the furtherance of the gospel (1:12).

To Paul the furtherance of the gospel was always paramount. His mission in life was to promote the gospel of Christ, even at his own peril. Paul demonstrated this in three ways.

1. He put Christ first (vers. 12-21). Paul was aware of those who preached the gospel with impure motives (1:16). Nevertheless, as long as the gospel was preached and was being spread abroad, he was willing to endure the affliction. Why? Because to Paul, Christ and the gospel came first. Thus, as long as the gospel was being furthered, Paul rejoiced (1:18). Even if events turned tragic because of the preaching of the gospel, and Paul would lose his life, the most important thing to him was the magnification of Christ (1:20). Wherever Paul went, whatever situation Paul found himself in, the gospel was always furthered because Jesus was always the center of his life (1:21).

2. He put others second (vers. 22-26). Paul seemed to live by one simple rule: Christ first, brethren second. His prayer life was a demonstration of how much he loved his brethren. Early on, in the first chapter of Philippians, Paul indicates that he prayed for the saints at Philippi on a regular basis (vers. 4, 9). Why did Paul pray for brethren so often? Outside of the fact that Paul had a strong belief in the power of prayer, he prayed for brethren so often because they were always on his mind. Paul’s unquenchable desire to help his brethren make it to heaven is seen in that, given the choice, he would stay here on earth to help his brethren, rather than to go to be with Christ, which, of course, is where he really wanted to be (vers. 23-24). The well-being of brethren was more important to Paul than his own happiness. In this Paul shared the mind of Christ (2:1-5). This insatiable desire to help others is also the mind-set that reveals Paul’s natural propensity to preach the gospel. Wherever Paul went, he took the gospel with him, and thus, the gospel of Christ was furthered. We should all take note of Paul’s pattern of living. The furtherance of the gospel of Christ will only take place when Christians love Christ first, and those who need him second.

3. He put himself last. Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last leads to true joy. This epitomized the life of Paul. This is why he could rejoice in times of persecution and be content in whatever condition he found himself (4:11). How different was Paul from the majority of people in our society today, as well as, many members of the body of Christ. Personal pleasure and one’s own happiness seems to be the obsession of the average person in our communities today. There is little doubt that this is one reason there is so much depression and general unhappiness in the world today. You see, perfect happiness and tranquility is almost impossible to hang on to. There are just too many ups and downs in life to rely on one’s physical condition for true peace of mind. The truth is, life is filled with problems. Job once said, “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). This is just the way of the world. For Paul, this truth was okay because his personal happiness was not first, or even second, on his list of concerns. Paul found happiness somewhere else. Paul found joy in serving Jesus first and others second. Only after that would he bother himself with his own wants and desires. And what was the end of such thinking? It was the furtherance of the gospel.