"ChristsLove" Tagged Sermons
Paul’s affection for Philemon gets compared, surprisingly, to the love between a man and a woman, the same intensity Paul shows the Philippians and that Song of Solomon 5 describes at length. ‘Dearly beloved’ is a real claim about the bond Paul feels, no stock epistolary courtesy. Serving others in the church, on this reading, runs on exactly that kind of love rather than mere obligation.
Five distinct ways Paul’s salutation itself displays Christ’s love are traced out, alongside three features that make his Philippian greeting unique among his letters. Paul’s own joy in serving the Philippians becomes a small picture of the elect joyfully serving God in glory. Even a greeting, read carefully, rehearses the gospel.