In today's passage and in tomorrow's passage Paul speaks of sending two of his close friends to see the believers at Philippi. He's going to say beautiful words of commendation about these godly men, and we can learn a lot from the examples they set for us. In today's passage Paul announces his intention to send Timothy to visit the church of Philippi.
"I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you." (Philippians 2:19) We are already somewhat familiar with this young man named Timothy. Luke had a great deal to say about him in the book of Acts, and Paul has mentioned him a number of times in his letters. Timothy is from the city of Lystra, the city where Paul was pelted with stones, dragged outside the gates, and left for dead. (He might actually have been dead for a few minutes; Paul himself says in 2 Corinthians 12:2-3 that he doesn't know whether he was unconscious or dead.) Upon Paul's revival we would have expected him to run from Lystra as fast as he could, yet he went back inside the city and even revisited it on several occasions to preach the gospel. Luke says that in Lystra "they won a large number of disciples". (Acts 14:21) Timothy is one of these disciples. We don't know Timothy's conversion story, but perhaps he was impressed with Paul's strength of faith when he came walking back through the gates. Maybe he was stunned by Paul's miraculous revival. We don't know precisely what opened Timothy's heart to the gospel, but we know that he gave his heart so completely to Christ that he devoted the rest of his life to sharing the gospel and ministering to the church.
In our day it's hard to imagine having to wait weeks or months for news, but in Paul's day the only way he could find out how the people of Philippi were faring was to send someone to visit them or to wait for letters from them. Since Paul is a prisoner and can't visit them himself, he feels the next best thing is to send Timothy because Timothy has as much love in his heart for the people of Philippi as Paul has. "I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:20-21)
If you have even one friend who is genuinely concerned for you, thank God for that person! If you have more than one friend like this, praise the name of the Lord! Our culture teaches everyone that they need to "look out for number one", but the law of love teaches us that the needs of others are as important as our own needs. So if the Lord has sent you a good godly friend, treasure that friend. If you don't have anyone like this in your life, pray for the Lord to send you someone. Get involved with church or with a charity or volunteer group where you can come in contact with people who share similar values and interests. I believe the Lord will honor your prayer for a good godly friend, and while you pray for Him to send you this friend, pray also that He will help you to be a good godly friend to that person. The Lord created us with a need for human companionship and He wants us to have people in our lives who will encourage us in the faith. Even the Lord Jesus needed the companionship and support of His friends while He lived in this troubling world, and He knows you and I need friends too.
"But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." (Philippians 2:22) Timothy doesn't just verbally pledge his support. He takes action. He labors in the gospel along with men like Paul and he ministers to the believers. His actions prove his heart is in the right place. It's one thing for us to tell a friend, "I'm praying for you." (And we ought to be praying for our friend.) But it's another thing to back up our words with actions. In addition to praying for our friends, we ought to be helping them in any way we can. We ought to be physically present with them if possible and we should minister to their needs if it's within our power.
"I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon." (Philippians 2:23-24) As far as we know, Paul never left Rome. Luke ends the book of Acts with Paul still under house arrest awaiting trial. It's possible that Nero set him free after hearing his defense, but that wouldn't explain why Paul was still in Rome when Nero's persecution of Christians broke out. We would expect Paul to resume his missionary journeys if he were set free, yet early church tradition tells us that he was beheaded in Rome during Nero's reign. So I think that in verses 23 and 24 Paul is expressing the hope he will be set free, but I don't believe he has been assured by the Holy Spirit that he will be set free. Like anyone, he naturally hopes for the best. But at the same time I think he's prepared for the worst.
In preparing for the worst, Paul is training Timothy to take his place. He knows the character of this young man so well that he feels confident that the churches he founded will be safe in Timothy's hands. This is why he says, "I have no one else like him." Let's take Timothy's example to heart and be the type of people about whom our friends can say, "I have no one else like him," or, "I have no one else like her."
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