Philippians 1:5

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

(v5, NIV)

Who is Paul speaking to?

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

(v1, NIV)

Paul is speaking to all the saints in Christ Jesus at the church in Philippi. Saints are those who are believers and followers of Christ Jesus.

These saints are the ones who Paul is in partnership with. The word "partners" makes me think of superheroes or detectives. Superheroes sometimes have sidekicks who are their partners in crime fighting. Detectives or policemen sometimes work with another person who is their partner. When I do labs, sometimes I am allowed to have a partner with whom I can work on the lab with. In this verse, Paul is talking about being partners in the gospel. Being partners in something means that both of you are working on the same thing together. To be partners in the gospel means being partners in living and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

It is a joy to know and live in the partnership of the gospel with others. Knowing that together with others we are living the gospel. We live it out in our own lives and help each other. We may edify one another and help each other. We may share our experiences in living out the gospel and encourage one another. In addition, we are working on proclaiming the gospel to each other and to others. New life in Christ is not a lonely journey; there are other brothers and sisters who are partners in the gospel. Take joy in the fact that there are others who are running the race with perseverance. Now, this doesn't mean that they run it for us. Each of us has to account for what we did with our talents. However, as I've heard James MacDonald say, following Christ is not a solo sport.