What is the significance of Paul saying, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you" (Philippians 1:3)?

Notice how thanksgiving and prayer are linked together here: "I thank my God," "always in all supplication." In the prison in Philippi in the early days, Paul and Silas had prayed and sung praises: and now in the prison at Rome, Paul is still doing the same thing. In Chapter 4:6 of our Epistle he tells us the secret of that Peace we saw in the previous verse: "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Thanksgiving sees the blessings already received, and prayer sees the needs still to be met. And Paul could never think of these dear saints in Philippi without giving thanks for them. The word is not, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." It is, rather, "for all my remembrance of you," or, "my whole remembrance of you." It was not only at isolated times he remembered and gave thanks for them, but the whole, complete memory of them, was one that filled him with thanksgiving. Notice how "all" is repeated in these verses: "All my remembrance;" "always;" "in all my supplication;" "for you all."

There used to be a beggar in Shanghai who was so busy asking for gifts, that he never took time to thank those who gave to him. The result was that those who generally gave to the beggars, often passed him by. Might we not know more answers to our prayers if we spent more time in thanksgiving? In the days of old, there were those whose "office was to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even." (1 Chron. 23:28 & 30). Have we, who know God's unspeakable Gift, less cause for thanksgiving than they? From the very first Sabbath by the river side, when Lydia's heart was opened, right up to that day, Paul gives thanks for them. How different to Galatia! Not a word of thanksgiving for them: the only church for whom the Apostle had nothing for which to give thanks!

(Vv. 3-6). This happy spiritual condition drew forth the Apostle's praise and prayer on their behalf. We may be able to thank God for one another as we recall the grace of God manifested on particular occasions; but, of these saints, the Apostle could say, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Moreover, we may pray for one another, though, at times, it may be with sorrow of heart on account of failure and poor walk; but of these saints the Apostle could make "request with joy."

Furthermore, the spiritual condition of these saints gave the Apostle great confidence that He which had begun a good work in them would perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Thus, as they had shown their devotedness by their fellowship with the Apostle from the first day until that moment, so he was confident they would be sustained in the same grace in their onward journey until the day of Jesus Christ.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you," he assures them. Few as the disciples may have been after his first visit to Philippi, how could he forget the reality of the work of God there? a work that had been sustained and developed in evident truth and stability. The record in Acts 16 has an attraction peculiar to itself. But it was Paul's habit to thank God for the saints.

And prayer attends his thanksgiving; not in this case with "anguish of heart" and "many tears" as was true in the writing of his first epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor.2:4); but rather "making request with joy." They were going on well, and his heart was free, and full.

"From the first day until now" they had shown fullest fellowship with him in the Gospel. Their hearts were bound up with the message of Divine grace committed to him, and they had, immediately after conversion, ministered to his support, sending help to him twice while he was in Thessalonica (Ch. 4:16) at a time when he received nothing from other assemblies. This fellowship had continued, and another gift at this time is evidently the occasion for this epistle from prison. Moreover it was by no means wealth that made this possible. For Paul in writing to Corinth mentions "the assemblies of Macedonia; how that in great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves" (2 Cor.8:1-3).

And as he remembered them all and thought of their love and devotion he thanked God for them. "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." He remembers with praise to God their fellowship in the gospel, how they took part in the trials, labors, conflicts occasioned by the preaching of that gospel. They had taken a zealous part in the gospel Paul preached and manifested a loving interest by ministering to the needs of the Lord's servant. The remembrance of all which had happened when he was in Philippi and their combined fellowship and steadfastness filled the prisoner of the Lord with gratitude and joy. Therefore he prayed for them continually; he carried them upon his heart and in the prayer of intercession mentioned their names before the throne of grace. How Christ-like this was. He ever carries His dear people upon His heart and intercedes for them.

Before he opens the epistle, the Apostle breaks forth in thanksgiving to God. "I thank my God," an expression often used in this epistle. It also is individual, knowing now the God in whom he trusted, besides being the expression of affection and of nearness. First, says the Apostle, "I thank my God upon my whole remembrance of you" (for such is the true force), "always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy." This leads me to make the observation, that nearness to God is always accompanied by the heart overflowing with the joy which His realized presence necessarily produces, as well as by a spirit of intercession for the objects of God's love on earth. There may be at the same time the deepest exercise of spirit, and not without the keenest pain; because in the presence of God every sin, sorrow, and shame is more truly and fully felt. What God is, is known, and therefore perfect peace; what man is, and therefore the failure is realized and the dishonour brought on Christ is entered into by the Spirit. But here joy is the prevalent and abiding feeling, the great characteristic effect of the presence of God imprinted on the soul, where the conscience is void of offence toward God and man.

Not that even Paul could thus speak of every assembly, or every saint of God — far from it. His whole remembrance of the Philippian saints opened the sluices of thanksgiving to God. Yet, from the beginning, there was need of prayer; and he was continually supplicating for them all, and this with joy, "for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." What a wonderful thing that a man, though he were the great Apostle of the Gentiles, could so feel, and that there were here below saints of whom he could so write! Alas! in these selfish days we little know what we have lost, and whence we are fallen. He never prayed for these Philippians but with joy, and yet he was constantly bearing them before God. Had the Apostle been here, could he have thought so of us? Yet, wonderful as it was, it was the simple truth; and it is wholesome for our souls to judge ourselves by such a standard.

180 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until now." The Philippians had taken a zealous part in the gospel, and had shewn a loving spirit. How constant the intercession of the apostle was for them! Every time he prayed he was making mention of them. Mark how he carries the church of God on his heart; and it was the same way with individuals. He was thinking of all the good in them, and thanking God for it. See the kind of interest he had for the saints; he was always thinking of them. Even to the Corinthians he says, "I thank my God always on your behalf."

Verses 3, 4. 'I thank my God,' etc. There is a heartiness in the Apostle's language throughout this deeply interesting letter, which is felt from the outset by the attentive Christian reader. For Paul's remembrance of the saints at Philippi wore still unfadingly the bright colouring of that first love which so manifestly proved itself at the beginning of the Lord's work in that city, and his personal reminiscences had been confirmed by favourable mention made to him from time to time by others of their spiritual well-being. As often therefore as he thought of them, and bare them and their known condition, in the spirit of loving intercession, to the throne of grace, his first and ruling impulse was that of pure thanksgiving for what God had wrought. He prayed also, and that earnestly; for incessant prayer to God is the chief moral condition of all true spiritual progress; but the requests which he addressed to God, reflecting as these did what he felt to be the genuine desires of those on whose behalf he prayed, were such as to cause not anxiety, but joy only, to his soul. For that his spirit was in full accord with theirs at the time of his inditing this Epistle he felt thoroughly assured. The special cause, however, of this joy is declared more explicitly in what follows.

But we must not pass by those two little words: "my God:" "I thank my God for all my remembrance of you." The Apostle had just said he was the slave of Christ Jesus, which means he belonged to Christ Jesus. Now he speaks of "my God." When speaking to the heathen on the ship on the way to Rome, he said: "Whose I am, and Whom I serve." But now, writing to the saints, he says: "my God." Not only are these words intensely individual, but they also tell of love and nearness. The Apostle loved to use those words: we find them again in Chapter 4:19: "My God shall supply all your need." He thanks "my God" for the Romans, and for Philemon. (Rom. 1:8; Philemon 4). To the Corinthians he wrote: "I fear … lest my God will humble me among you." In Phil. 3:8 he speaks of "Christ Jesus my Lord." It is a grand thing to be able to know God as "our own God." (Ps. 67:6). The voluntary slave in Ex. 21 could say: "I love my Master." Thomas said: "My Lord and my God!" How good when we can say: "I am His, and He is mine, for ever, and for ever!"

We must link Verse 5 with Verse 3: "I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you … for your fellowship in the interests of the Gospel, from the first day until now." We have already spoken of the seven times we find FELLOWSHIP linked with the Philippian saints: but what is fellowship, as used in the New Testament? The Greek word for it comes from the word used for "partners" in Luke 5:10. James and John were partners with Simon in the fishing business. I believe in the New Testament fellowship always means a relation between persons, based on Christian unity: perhaps "Joint Participation" is one of the best definitions of the meaning. When Lydia received Paul and his company into her house, she was having joint participation in the Gospel: when Paul was preaching in Thessalonica, and the Philippian saints sent him gifts (Phil. 4:16) they were having joint participation in the Gospel, or, "fellowship in the Gospel."

But more, he could give thanks for them, and he did. Years had passed since he had seen them, but he had not forgotten them. "I thank my God," he writes, "upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Fellowship in the gospel had always characterized that assembly. (4:15.) It characterized it still. (1:7; 4:14.) Now, that fellowship betokened not only love to him, but a real work of grace in their souls - a work commenced, instrumentally, by Paul and his company (Acts 16:13), but really by God, who will perfect in His goodness that which He has begun in His grace. To Him, then, Paul turns for confidence about the saints: "Being confident of this one thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus." (v. 6.) And to the furtherance of Paul's joy, he had not to rest simply on the remembrance of that which they once had been in the first fervour of their love; for the coming of Epaphroditus with their tribute of affection told him of their continued interest in him, and in the work of God with which he was so closely associated. So he points to that as a further proof of the reality of their conversion. "Even," he writes, "as it is right for me to think this of you all, because you have me in your heart;* inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace." Happy Paul, to have such continued evidence of the fruitfulness of his labours among them. Blessed too surely they were who furnished such proofs. Deeds, not words merely, was it with them. And what honour was put on them to have fellowship with Paul in the grace of furthering the interests of Christ and the kingdom of God! They were not ashamed of him, the prisoner. They identified themselves with him.

Paul had good cause for thanking God upon every remembrance of the saints at Philippi, and his prayers for them were always with joy for their "fellowship in the Gospel from the first day" until the time of his writing the epistle. Paul would never forget how Lydia had received him and his companions into her house, after she had heard and believed the Gospel. It was not simply fellowship with Paul, but with the Gospel which had brought to her the glad tidings of the grace of God.

The fellowship of the Philippian saints had been very practical, for Paul was able to write to them, "Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity" (Phil. 4:15-16). Having received the blessings of the Gospel, the saints at Philippi sought to further the Gospel in helping the servants of the Lord in every way. The Apostle counted on their prayers, even as he wrote, "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:19).