-Paul gives as the reason that he is so joyful and grateful for these Philippian believers is the fact that they had been sharing in the Gospel. From the first day on to the present. The word is koinonia - so they were SO involved together with Paul in the proclamation and advance of the Gospel that they were getting dirty (at least metaphorically speaking). And they were sharing unto or into the Gospel, not just with or in the Gospel. The picture is something more directional, more intentional, more involved. They were all in. And Paul says that they were all in from the first day, which, since he planted this church and had been used to lead with many of them to Christ in the first place, in his mind has to mean from the very day of their conversion as well as the inception of this assembly. Since the very first day they believed, these Philippian believers were all in for the Gospel, for living it out and for sharing it with the world.
-Paul actually talks about three days in this section, arguably three (or even four) of the most days in a person’s life. The one in this verse is the first day (1) a person shares into the Gospel, the day they trust in what Jesus Christ did for them on the day (2) He died for them. The following verse talks about the day (3) when Jesus Christ returns and all of God’s promises contained in the Gospel are fully consummated. The fourth day (4) of course would be today - now. What difference do these other three days make in my life on this day? Am I all in for the Gospel, for Christ Who died for me, today? What does/should "all in" look like, and if I am not yet so, what is holding me back?
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