Philippians 2:17-18 17But if I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18Likewise, you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul shifts to cultic language of sacrifice to make his personal appeal even more serious. By this point in the letter, the Philippians knew the dire situation of Paul’s imprisonment, that it was certainly possible for him soon to lose his life. The image is vivid and would have been understood by both Jews and Gentiles. The background is more likely Paul’s reflections on Israel’s cultic system of offering sacrifices in worship. Many pagan temples in cities like Philippi also had sacrifices as part of the worship.
The part of verse 17 that catches our attention is that Paul’s life is the sacrifice and the Philippians are the ones who benefit from this offering through faith. He was giving his life so that the Philippians’ faith would grow. Their faith in Jesus Christ is what sustained Paul in prison. He would willingly face the hardship if he knew that somehow it would make a difference in the Philippians. This insight can be powerfully experienced in many ways. For example, a parent may sacrifice in order to see a child experience a better life. Those in ministry leadership experience many hardships and discouragements. But to see someone grow and change because of the efforts of this leader, it is worth all of the pain and stress.
Paul does not let this discourage him but actually rejoices because he knows that his life had made a difference in Philippi and his sacrifice has not been meaningless. If he loses his life, it will be worth it all because he knows he has made an impact on the lives of the Philippians. To say this takes a great deal of hope and faith. Stories are told of missionaries or ministers who spend many years in a place and only see a few converts. In the end, one may ask, was all the pain and sacrifice worth it? Even one soul is a priceless treasure laid up in heaven. Paul had no idea that his life and testimony, particularly in this letter, would make the impact it has over the centuries. We too may not know how the seeds we plant will grow over time.
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