What’s Your Title? A Lesson about Identity from Philippians
Lately I’ve been meditating on a verse I bet you’ve never spent much time thinking about:
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ: To all the saints in Philippi who are in Christ Jesus, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2)
This is not a verse you see on a coffee mug. It’s not one you’d probably choose to memorize. It’s pretty easy to skim over when reading Philippians.
But when you start memorizing a whole book of the Bibe, that means meditating on every verse. It forces you to slow down and find meaning in a verse you wouldn’t normally study. You have to think from every angle about what the verse actually means.
And that’s when you realize it’s about identity. In these two verses the name of Jesus is mentioned three times; all for the purpose of defining the identity of Paul and Timothy and the Philippians.
Paul and Timothy, the writers of the letter (though we tend to read it as mostly Paul) could have chosen anything to put here. They could have said “preachers of the gospel” or “followers of the Way” or “traveling tentmakers,” all of which would have been accurate. But the phrase they choose as their most important identifier is “bondservants of Jesus Christ.”
Most people open a letter with some title or description that elevates them and shows why they’re worth listening to. Instead, these authors go the opposite way with a title that no one would willingly have chosen. Jesus’ message of servanthood has seeped into our culture just enough that we might not realize just how repulsive this was to the culture of the time. Being a bondservant - which in some translations means simply “slave” - was not glamorous or honorable.
But Paul and Timothy are so sold out on Jesus’ message of becoming the lowliest and the least that servanthood is the very thing they choose to define themselves. And not servanthood to just anyone - they are servants of Jesus Christ. They put themselves completely under his leadership, and by doing so exalt him even higher. Their humility magnifies the glory of which he is so worthy.
And next they address the recipients of the letter according to their identity in Christ, calling them “the saints who are in Christ Jesus.”
That little word “in” has way more meaning than the two letters seem to carry. This is an entire doctrine; the doctrine of union with Christ. The idea that if we believe in him, our whole identity, our life, our everything is in him. I’ve heard it defined as “everything that is true of Christ is true of us.”
They also call them “saints”. We use the word “saint” for someone who is especially holy and righteous, but the Bible uses it to describe all believers. Because ALL believers are equally holy and righteous by identity, even if not in everyday practice.
If you’re in Christ, you’re set apart for him, washed clean and holy by his blood, and clothed in his righteousness. Which means you have no business identifying yourself as a sinner and thinking of others as saints. YOU are a saint because God says so, whether you feel saintly or not.
And if confirming this identity wasn’t rich enough, Paul continues by offering them grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He repeats once again the powerful name of God who is Father, and Lord, and Savior, and Messiah - and the truth that all grace and peace flow from him.
I’ve memorized all the way through verse 6 so far, and I intended to write about all 6 verses. But it’s amazing how much you can squeeze out of just two verses after focusing on them for a week! So buckle up, because this blog will probably run pretty heavy on Philippians throughout this year :)