Philippians 2:19-24

Hello Everyone!

As I was researching our Scriptures for this week...

over and over, the theme "Friend" or "Kindred Spirit"

came up from reading verse 20 ~

"I have no one else like him..." ~ New International Version (NIV)

"For I have no (other) man likeminded..." ~ King James Version (KJV)

"For I have no one {else} of kindred spirit..." ~ New American Standard Bible

(NASB)

The word "likeminded" comes from the Greek word

"isopsychos" which means equal in soul.

When I heard "kindred spirit" I immediately thought of the novel,

Anne (spelled with an "e"!) of Green Gables written by

Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908.

I was first introduced to this series by my husband's

sweet Aunt Ruthie. She had the whole series on VHS,

and we sat and watched them up into the wee hours of the

morning when we visited her in her home in Avon Park, FL.

Here is a quote from the book:
(Marilla says) "...Matthew is a most ridiculous man." "I think he's lovely," said Anne reproachfully. "He is so very sympathetic. He didn't mind how much I talked--he seemed to like it. I felt that he was a kindred spirit as soon as ever I saw him."

For those of you "Anne of Green Gables" fans,

you can go to http://www.online-literature.com/lucy_montgomery/

and read Ms. Montgomery's bio ~

(she was a pastor's wife...WHO KNEW!!)

You can also read all (I believe) of her works at this website!

So......since we are talking about friends this week,

Here are two ~ read 2 ~ videos I found...

The first one is for you animal lovers out there...

ENJOY!!!








Now this one is about friendship, also...

Even though it is an "oldie, but goodie", hang with it until the end

and then you will see what I mean!!






OK...sniff, sniff...clearing throat...

Man! That Chonda can have you laughing from your toes

and the next thing you know, you are wiping the moisture from the corner

of your eyes from thinking seriously and soberly from your heart!

Now...I wonder who this "kindred spirit" and "likeminded" friend-person

is that we are talking about in verses 19-24?

"I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.

I have no one else like him, who takes genuine interest in your welfare.

For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

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.

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."

None other than Timothy!

This "young fellow" is mentioned 25 times in 25 verses in the NIV,

not to mention that 2 Books of the Bible named after him!

He was designated to the office of an evangelist (1 Tim. 4:14)

and went with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia;

also to Troas and Philippi and Berea (Acts 17:14).

Then he followed Paul to Athens

and was sent by him with Silas on a mission to Thessaloniki

(Acts 17:15; I Thessalonians 3:2).

We next find him at Corinth (I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1) with Paul.

He passes now out of sight for a few years,

and is again noticed as being with Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19:22),

where he is sent on a mission into Macedonia.

He accompanied Paul afterwards into Asia (Acts 20:4)

where he was with him for some time.

When Paul was a prisoner at Rome,

Timothy joined him (Philemon 1:1),

where it appears he also suffered imprisonment (Hebrews 13:23).

During Paul's second imprisonment he wrote to Timothy,

asking him to rejoin him as soon as possible, and to bring with him certain things

which he had left at Troas, his cloak and parchments (II Timothy 4:13).

(Shewww...I don't know about you, but just reading that wore me out!!

He was a busy man!)

According to later tradition, Paul ordained Timothy

as Bishop of Ephesus in the year 65,

where he served for 15 years.

In the year 80, Timothy tried to halt a pagan procession of idols,

ceremonies and songs.

In response to his preaching of the Gospel, the angry pagans beat him, dragged

him through the streets and stoned him to death.

Here are some artist's renditions of what they think Timothy looked like:

He is usually shown holding a big book like the Bible,

or a scroll, because in 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul is talking to Timothy

and says..."and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,

which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Timothy's grandmother Lois and mother Eunice are mentioned in

2 Timothy 1:15. In Acts 16:1, we find that his mother was a Jew,

but his father was a Greek and not mentioned again.

I am sure that Timothy found a "father figure" in Paul

and Paul definitely found a son in Timothy.

Being "likeminded" does not mean Paul and Timothy always agreed,

but it does mean that being alongside each other was easy so that

neither had to work hard at the relationship

and things flowed smoothly between them.

Verse 20 ~ "...who takes a genuine interest in your welfare."

**Timothy was the "Real Deal"...

Timothy's interest in the Philippian church's welfare was a sign of his inner

character of compassion. Timothy was a true shepherd.

He was concerned to the point of being burdened.

**He was "seasoned"...

Verse 22 ~ "But you know that Timothy has proved himself..."

Have you ever seasoned a cast iron frying pan?

You have to wash (baptize) the pan thoroughly with soap and water.

Rinse thoroughly.

Place it on the stove at a low temperature until it is completely dry.

Coat the pan with lard or cooking oil (oil of the Holy Spirit)...

HEAT (trials and testing) the oven to 500 degrees and bake the pan

for one hour ~ upside down!

Timothy was seasoned...he had proven himself...

he could let "things slide off easier and not stick"

better than a new Christian. He knew how to "let go and let God!"

**You get Tim, you get me...

Verse 23 ~ "I hope, therefore, to send him..."

They shared the same passion and the same heartbeat for the church in Philippi.

Though Paul could not be there himself, he felt responsible for their spiritual

welfare. Here again, is an example of self-sacrificing love,

the previous examples in Chapter 2 are the Lord Jesus and Paul himself.

Both were willing to pour out their lives to death as a drink offering.

Now we have Timothy and Epaphroditus. (who we will discuss next week)

Talk about a sacrifice!! Here Paul is in house arrest in Rome and he

is giving up his likeminded son in the Lord to the people of Philippi!

Don't you think that he would like to have him there to visit him

and to care for his needs, if allowed? W.O.W.

What a sacrifice!

Which brings me to these questions...

><>Do we have anything in our lives that we are pouring ourselves out to

that is eternal?

><>Do we have anything in our lives that we show a self-sacrificing love to?

><>Or do we show a self-loving attitude ~ it is all about me?

><>Do we have a friend-making attitude?

><>Do we know that to have a friend is to be a friend?

><>Do we have or have had a kindred spirit with someone?

Let's examine our hearts this week and see if we even have it in us to

do this self-sacrificing love...

and if we do...

what will we end up with?????

J.O.Y.

Until next week,

Debbie G.
(Resources: Wikipedia.org, Orthoxwiki.org and the Online Commentary listed in my left sidebar under "Links".)