Philippians 1:7
“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul says it is right to feel this way because he holds them in his heart and they share with him in his imprisonment and his defense of the gospel.
What Does Philippians 1:7 Mean?
Paul explains why his confidence and affection are fitting. He carries the Philippians in his heart, and they have stood with him through everything, including his chains and his courtroom defense of the gospel.
Grace, for Paul, is not a private possession but something shared. Because the Philippians had supported him in his suffering and his witness, they were partakers of the same grace that sustained him. Love binds people into one another's burdens; their faithfulness to Paul made his hardships theirs as well. This is the texture of true Christian friendship, holding one another in the heart so closely that imprisonment, defense, and grace are all carried together rather than borne alone.