Philippians 2:19-24 – A devoted co-worker

Here Paul told the Philippians that he would be sending Timothy to them to attend to their needs. Although he would have preferred to be there himself, he could not because of his imprisonment at this point in time. Hence it was not possible for him to visit them, much as he had loved to. Determined to see them grow spiritually in the Lord, Paul’s plan was to send Timothy to them. This act of Paul leaves us an example concerning the work of the Gospel. It is not enough to bring the Gospel to the people. It is also needful to ensure that those brought to the Lord are spiritually cared for.

From these verses we are given glimpses of the ministry of Timothy, another faithful servant of the Lord. Paul said that he would send him as soon as he could. Paul wanted them to know that Timothy was reliable. The first thing he was sending Timothy to them was so that he could receive some encouraging report on how the Philippians were faring.

The second thing about Timothy was that he and Paul had a very close relationship (v.20). His spirit was like that of his mentor, Paul. He had the same caring spirit as Paul and was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Philippians.

Thirdly, Timothy was a person who would deny himself and would be totally immersed in the work of Christ (v.21). Unlike others, Timothy did not seek to do his own things. His concern was for the things of Jesus Christ and the welfare of the church.

Finally, Timothy was a person with a servant attitude. He served Paul, as a son would a father, faithfully. Both of them had made it their lives’ objective to spread the Gospel. Although Paul planned to send Timothy to them, his deepest desire was to be with them personally.

Looking at the life of Timothy as Paul had described, we can tell that he was one with a deep devotion for the Lord. And he would gladly show that devotion by seeking the interest of the welfare of others in the Lord. This was exactly the same devotion that the Lord Jesus had toward others, that made Him poured out Himself sacrificially for them. We would do well to emulate Timothy as he had emulated the Lord.