November 5, 2025 • 30 mins
What does the word fellowship in the Bible mean? Most people think of getting together at a meal and maybe in worship. But it means much more. It comes from a Greek word which means sharing. What is shared depends on the verse you’re reading.
In the book of Philippians, Paul says the Christians in Philippi shared with him in some very important ways we need to imitate. And, one reward of this fellowship—again, not simply associating, even though that is priceless—is the joy and peace and fulfillment it gives us.
Paul, a prisoner under house arrest in Rome, writes to these Christians. And as you read it, you’ll see that the troubles he had couldn’t sever the bond between him and these saints. In this episode, we will learn how to truly connect with other Christians and have joy that is beyond anything the things of this world can give.
Read about this subject:
- Scriptures: Philippians 1:1-11
- “Peace”
Listen to more on this subject:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I am Kerry Duke, host of My Godand My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredWord to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
The little book we've been talking aboutthat has so much teaching for our time
(00:22):
is the book of Philippians, and we'regoing to start in Philippians chapter
one, verse one (00:25):
“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all
the saints in Christ Jesus who are inPhilippi, with the bishops and deacons.”
Right away we see a verse that is veryneeded today because it talks about the
saints, that is, the Christians who areat Philippi with the bishops and deacons.
(00:48):
In the New Testament, thereare two offices in the
church (00:51):
bishops and deacons.
Those are the only two officesin the New Testament church.
The bishops are the overseers.
That's another word for bishop.
A bishop means one who oversees the flock.
And when it talks about thesebishops, remember that that is a
word that means the same thing andrefers to the same office as elders.
(01:14):
We know that because of Titus chapter oneverses five and seven, because there Paul
talks about the elders and the bishopsin the same breath and in the same sense.
We find the same relationshipin Acts chapter 20.
The Bible says in Acts 20 verse17 that Paul called for the elders
of the church at Ephesus, and thenin verse 28 he said that the Holy
(01:37):
Spirit had made them overseers.
So who are the elders?
They are called overseers.
Who are the overseers?
They're the ones who are called elders.
The third word, which isgreatly misunderstood and often
misapplied, is the word pastor.
The word pastor means a shepherd.
Most of the time, when you findthat original word translated,
(02:00):
it is translated a shepherd.
Well, when we talk about shepherds inthe church, we need to ask a question.
Who are the ones the Bible specificallysays feed, that is, shepherd the flock?
The answer is in First Peter chapterfive, verses one through four.
That's where Peter said that hewas an elder and he was exhorting
those elders that he was writingto, to shepherd the flock.
(02:24):
So who are the shepherds of the flock?
Those are elders.
Those are the bishops; those arethe pastors or the shepherds.
So this goes against hundreds ofyears of denominational traditions.
We might say that thosedenominational traditions go
against this almost 2000-year-oldteaching of the Apostle Paul.
(02:45):
The Bible nowhere gives one manthe authority to be over a church.
You don't find that in the Bible.
You never find a priestbeing over a congregation.
You never find a bishop being over acongregation or a group of congregations,
and you certainly don't find a popebeing over the universal church.
You never find in the NewTestament where any writer
(03:08):
referred to the pastor of a church.
That's not there.
What you do find in Acts chapter 14verse 23 is that the Bible says that
they “ordained elders in every church.”
So there were a group of men, a pluralityof men who oversaw a single congregation.
(03:29):
The whole idea of having a biggovernment in the church is unscriptural.
It's unbiblical because there's nodirect statement in the Bible that would
authorize that kind of church government.
There is no example in the New Testamentof that kind of church government,
and there is no implication in theBible anywhere that man has the right
to govern His church in that way.
(03:51):
There were small pockets, there werelone voices, even in the dark ages and in
the Reformation period, which disagreedwith these forms of church government.
John Wycliffe in 1384 said thatthere are only two offices in the
church—bishops and deacons, justlike the apostle Paul says here in
Philippians chapter one, verse one.
(04:13):
Now, Paul doesn't go into allthe details about these offices.
He doesn't give the qualifications.
You read the qualifications for eldersand deacons in First Timothy three, and
again, you find the qualifications forelders or bishops in Titus chapter one.
Here, he simply alludes to this.
So this is just one more reference tothe fact that the Lord's Church has
(04:35):
this kind of organization in it, andthat is that it has elders and deacons.
Ideally, when men meet thesequalifications, and even though that
is not the main point of this letter,it does show that this is consistent
with, this harmonizes with, what wefind in the rest of the New Testament.
Now, let's continue to read in verse two: “Grace to you and peace from God, our (04:51):
undefined
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thankmy God upon every remembrance of you,
always in every prayer of mine, makingrequest for you all with joy.” Paul said
in verse three that he thanked God everytime he thought of these Christians.
(05:12):
And when he thought of them, henot only thanked God for them,
but he prayed that God would blessthem and their work for the Lord.
And notice in verse fourthat he did this with joy.
That's something Paul talks aboutoften in this book of Philippians.
Many preachers have pointed this outin sermons over the years, and if you
read the whole book, you can't miss it.
(05:33):
And if you think about what he'sbeen through and where he is when he
writes this book, it will help youto appreciate his attitude even more.
When Paul was in the city ofPhilippi in Act 16, he and Silas
were beaten and thrown into prison.
But even when they were inprison and shackles, they
prayed and sang praises to God.
(05:54):
They didn't grumble and complain.
They didn't whine and cryabout how they'd been treated.
They praised God.
They baptized several people inspite of how they'd been persecuted.
That's how the church began in Philippi.
Paul is writing to the people inthat very city who obeyed the gospel
and became members of the church.
And it's interesting that he tells them inthe last verse of Philippians chapter one
(06:19):
that they saw what he had been through.
Paul taught them by exampleand not just by word.
So many times we thinkabout what Paul said.
And we should, because he wrote all theseletters that we have in the New Testament.
But if you think about it, Paultaught many Christians many lessons
with his life, not just his words.
(06:40):
That's what he did in Acts chapter 16 whenhe was preaching in the city of Philippi.
Now it's years later, and he's writingthis letter to the church in that city.
Do you remember where Paulis when he writes this book?
He's a prisoner again, years later.
This time he's in Rome.
He's not in a prison likea jail cell or a dungeon.
(07:02):
This time he's under house arrest.
You can read about that in Actschapter 28, verse 30 and 31.
He was allowed to have visitorsand even taught people the gospel,
but still he was not a free man.
He couldn't go out and preach atdifferent places like he used to.
He was confined to his own quarters.
And do you remember what hesaid about his health condition?
(07:25):
He had some kind of illness thathe called a thorn in the flesh.
Whatever it was, it was souncomfortable and unpleasant that
he asked God three times to takeit away, but the Lord didn't.
So think about everythingthat Paul went through.
The isolation and loneliness, thepersecution and incarceration, the
(07:45):
chronic illness he suffered with, andall this is just a small part of all
the trials he endured, and yet oneof the first things he talks about
in this letter is the joy he had.
You see, that joy didn'tcome from earthly pleasures.
Paul didn't even have the freedomto go outside and roam like you and
(08:06):
I do, to go where he wanted to go.
And on top of that, his health wasn'tgood and he didn't feel good sometimes.
So what brought him joy in life?
It's simple.
The Christian people he loved and caredabout, that's what brought him joy.
He said in Philippians one, verseseven, “I have you in my heart.” In
(08:27):
verse eight, he said, “For God ismy witness how greatly I long for
you all with the affection of JesusChrist.” In chapter four verse one, he
said these Philippian Christians werehis “joy and crown.” True happiness
comes from people, not things, and itcomes from the right kind of people.
(08:48):
Paul wasn't happy beingaround just anybody.
He was human just like the rest of us.
And his Christian convictionswouldn't allow him to enjoy
being around ungodly people.
And sometimes peopleattacked him personally.
In Second Timothy, chapter four,verse 14, Paul said that Alexander the
Coppersmith had done him much evil.
(09:08):
And there were times when Paul wasaggravated and upset with Christian
people who were not doing what was right.
He loved the Christians at Corinth,but he didn't always feel the same
way about them as he felt aboutthese Christians at Philippi.
Whenever Paul thought about theseChristians, he thanked God and prayed
for them, and he did it with joy.
(09:29):
These Christian people gave him peaceof mind, and they gave him peace inside,
even though they weren't with him.
He was in Rome and they were in Philippi,and they couldn't use the internet
to see and talk with each other.
They had a closeness that goesfar beyond modern technology.
They had a bond that couldn't be severed.
(09:50):
Paul, thanked God, he said, “for theirfellowship in the gospel from the
first day until now” in verse five.
The word fellowship means sharing.
It means joint participation.
The church at Philippi supportedthe preaching of the gospel.
They helped Paul time and againin his work, and Paul never
forgot that he appreciated it.
(10:12):
Toward the end of this book, in chapterfour, verses 14 through 16, Paul said,
“Nevertheless, you have done well,that you shared in my distress. Now
you Philippians know also that in thebeginning of the gospel when I departed
from Macedonia, no church shared with meconcerning giving and receiving but you
(10:34):
only; for even in Thessalonica, you sentaid once and again for my necessities.”
It's sad today that when Christianpeople hear the word fellowship,
the only thing they think about isgetting together and associating and
having a meal together and so forth.
But fellowship is much more than that.
It's not just sharingeach other's company.
(10:56):
It's sharing each other's troubles.
It's sharing our money andour food and our clothing with
each other when we're in need.
When Paul thought about all thatthey had done for him, it touched his
heart when he was under house arrestbeing guarded by Roman soldiers.
It moved him even more to know thatthey did this all for the Lord.
(11:17):
They didn't just givebecause they love Paul.
They gave because they loved Godand believed in the work that Paul
was doing and they wanted to help.
That is true fellowship.
That's real genuine happiness.
That's true.
Peace of mind.
That's a life with meaning.
And remember Paul istalking about praying.
(11:37):
He said in verse three that hethanked God for these Christians.
He asked God to be withthem in verse four.
What I'm saying is this.
Paul begins this book talkingabout how much he prayed.
He put his trust in God, and thenin the last chapter, Philippians
four, he tells us not to worry.
Instead, he tells us topray and be thankful.
(11:59):
Then and only then can we have thepeace that passes understanding.
That's Philippians four,verses six and seven.
Look at how Paul trusted in Godin Philippians one, verse six.
He said he was “confident of this verything, that he who has begun a good work
in you will complete it until the day ofJesus Christ.” Paul had confidence that
(12:23):
God would bless the work of these people.
He said God had begun a good work in them.
The Lord did that when he sentPaul and Silas to preach there.
They preached the gospel.
They baptized Lydia and her household.
They baptized the jailkeeper and his household.
That's how God startedthis good work in Philippi.
(12:45):
They followed the same pattern.
We see when the church began on PentecostDay in Acts two, 3000 people in Acts
two were baptized for the remissionof their sins [Acts two verse 38].
And then God added these saved peopleto his church [Acts two, verse 47].
Now Paul is writing to thechurch at Philippi years after
(13:07):
the congregation started.
He's telling them that God blessedthem in the beginning and that
God will bless them to the end.
That's confidence.
That's peace of mind.
That's the only real and lasting reasonto rejoice if anybody realizes that
his life was in the hands of God.
(13:27):
Paul did.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes chapternine, verse one, that the righteous,
the wise, and their works are “in thehand of God.” Paul understood that.
He didn't just talk aboutGod being in control.
He knew it.
He believed it, and he lived by it.
Do you remember him saying that for meto live is Christ and to die is gain?
(13:53):
That's in the same chapter inPhilippians chapter one, verse 21.
Paul said he was confident that God wouldbless these Christians to the very end in
their work that they were doing for him.
They had their part to do, they hadto do the work, but all that depended
on God, just as it does with us.
(14:13):
Paul reminds them later in chapter two,verse 13, that it is “God who works
in you both to do and to will for hisgood pleasure.” Does that remind you
of something he told the Corinthians?Paul said, “I planted, Apollo watered,
but God gave the increase” [FirstCorinthians chapter three, verse six].
(14:36):
Paul and these Christians worked together.
They supported him.
They prayed for him.
He taught them and prayed for them.
He taught many people andhelped many other churches, and
they helped him do all that.
That is sharing in the work.
That's the idea of fellowship.
But there's something elsePaul said that they did.
(14:56):
They stood up for the truth with him.
They stood with him ashe preached the gospel.
That wasn't easy.
It certainly wasn't popular in someplaces, but they had the courage, the
faith, and the love to stand strong.
Paul said in verse seven, “Just as it isright for me to think this of you all,
(15:17):
because I have you in my heart inasmuchas both in my chains and in the defense
and confirmation of the gospel, you allare partakers with me of grace.” Why
were these Christians so dear to Paul?
Because of their fellowship with him!
Notice that he says thatthey were partakers with him.
(15:39):
The word partaker is from thesame root word for fellowship.
And what were they partaking of with him?
What were they participatingin or fellowshiping Paul with?
Three things.
He said that they werepartakers in his chains.
He was a prisoner.
When he had to be taken to a trial, hewas chained and escorted by soldiers.
(16:02):
So these Christians shared orfellowshiped in this trial of
Paul; they sympathized with him.
They prayed for him.
They sent aid to help him.
They did what the Bible tells us weshould do in Hebrews 13 verse three.
That is, remember people who are inprison as if we are in prison with them.
But the next thing Paul said theyfellowshiped him in might be a little
(16:26):
surprising to some Bible readers.
Paul said that they were partakerswith him in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel.
Think about those two words.
Paul said the work of the gospel isnot just about proclaiming the gospel.
He said, we must defend the gospel.
Paul defended the gospelagainst false teaching.
(16:48):
In verse 17, he said, “I am appointedfor the defense of the gospel.” And all
you have to do is to turn to the Bookof Acts to see Paul defending the truth.
In Acts chapter nine, verse 22, Paul“confounded the Jews who dwelt in
Damascus proving that this Jesusis the Christ.” In Acts chapter
(17:10):
13, verse 45 and 46, he rebuked thejealous Jewish leaders at Antioch.
In Acts chapter 14, he stoodagainst a crowd of people who
thought he was some kind of God.
In Acts chapter 15, he and Barnabashad a major argument with some Jewish
men in the church who were tellingthe Gentile Christians they had to
(17:31):
keep the law of Moses to be saved.
In Acts chapter 16, we see hisshare of opposition in the very
city where these readers lived.
Philippi.
In Acts chapter 17, he defended thegospel to the Jews in several cities.
In Thessalonica, he went into theirsynagogue and “reasoned with them
from the scriptures, explaining anddemonstrating that the Christ had
(17:55):
to suffer and rise again from thedead” [Acts 17 verses two and three].
And when he went to the city of Athensin Acts chapter 17, he definitely put
on the whole armor of God and tookthe sword of the Spirit in his hand.
That's where he encountered Greekphilosophers who challenged his beliefs.
Paul stood up in the midst ofthem, and he defended the true
(18:18):
God and the gospel of his son.
Athens was hostile territory.
It was full of idolatry.
It had a long reputation for beingthe intellectual center of Greece.
So how did Paul defend thegospel in a situation like this?
The first thing he did was totalk about God being the creator.
(18:39):
He didn't use a lot of big wordsor complex logical arguments.
He simply taught what Davidwrote in Psalm 19 verse one.
“The heavens declare the glory of God andthe firmament shows his handiwork.” Paul
told these unbelievers right away thatGod made the world and everything in it.
In verse 24, he showed themthat idolatry was ridiculous.
(19:01):
He even quoted some of their Greekwriters who recognized the supreme being.
He proved logically that God exists.
We find him defending thefaith again in Acts chapter 18.
This time he is in the city of Corinth.
The Bible says in verse four thathe reasoned in the synagogue every
Sabbath and persuaded Jews andGreeks, but the Jews in that city
(19:25):
didn't like what he was doing.
So Paul again found himselfon the defensive, but none
of that discouraged Paul.
He stayed there for a year anda half teaching these people the
gospel in the city of Corinth.
Acts Chapter 19.
Paul is in the city of Ephesus and inthe city of Ephesus, he was attacked
and challenged on all directions.
(19:46):
There were people there whohad not been baptized properly.
There were Jews that opposed him.
There were fake miracle workers, andthere were all kinds of people that made
their living by making and selling idols.
There was a huge uproar, and accordingto what Paul says in two Corinthians
chapter one, his life was in danger.
(20:06):
God delivered him.
And what about the letters Paul wrote?
Time and again, you see himdefending the faith and telling
Christians to do the same.
When he wrote the book of FirstCorinthians, he defended marriage,
worship, and the resurrection of the dead.
In the Book of Galatians, he exposedJewish men in the church who were
binding the law of Moses on the Gentiles.
(20:29):
You also see in that same bookin Galatians chapter two, that
Paul didn't play any favorites.
He wasn't partial whenhe defended the gospel.
The apostle Peter himself had gone alongwith how these false teachers treated the
Gentile members of the church, and Paulconfronted him in front of everybody.
We see him defending the faith in theBook of Colossians in chapter two, and
(20:51):
especially when he writes to Timothy.
In the book of First Timothyand Second Timothy, he tells
Timothy to preach the word and todefend it against false doctrine.
When he wrote to Titus in chapterone verses nine through 11, he said
that elders in the church must beready to disprove false teaching.
And in the verse we're looking at,in Philippians chapter one, verse
(21:14):
seven, Paul said that these Christiansshared in his defense of the gospel.
They didn't turn their back on him.
They weren't afraid to stand with him.
They were partners with himin the defense of the gospel.
Not everybody stood with Paul.
As a matter of fact, in his last letter,the book of second Timothy, Paul said,
(21:34):
“At my first defense, no one stood withme, but all men forsook me” [Second
Timothy, chapter four, verse 16].
He's not talking specificallythere about defending the gospel.
He's talking about his first trialor defense in court, but still
this shows that some were afraidto have anything to do with him.
Not the Philippians though.
(21:55):
They stood firm with him in hardtimes as well as good times.
Do Christians today understandthat we are to defend the truth?
The Bible says in First Peter chapterthree, verse 15 to “always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks youa reason for the hope that is in you with
meekness and fear.” The Bible also says inthe book of Jude verse three, that we are
(22:20):
to “earnestly contend for the faith, whichwas once for all delivered to the saints.”
Jesus Christ certainly defended the truth.
How many times do you see Him arguingwith the Pharisees and yet some Christians
today say, “I don't argue with people.I tell them what I believe if they ask
(22:40):
me, but I don't disagree with theirbeliefs.” Is that what Jesus did?
Is that what Paul did?
Is that what John the Baptist did?
Is that what the early disciples did?
Is that what the prophets ofGod in the Old Testament did?
And yet the book of Philippiansteaches us that Paul, the great
(23:00):
defender of the faith, was not sourand bitter and angry all the time.
He had great peace and joy.
He was very content.
It's true that he lost friendsbecause of his stand for the truth.
He didn't get along with hisrelatives because he was a Christian.
He even said in Romans chapternine verses one through three that
he was very sad and heartbrokenbecause his relatives were lost.
(23:24):
But he always found peace in God.
That's one of the tremendouslessons that you and I need to
learn from the book of Philippians.
But Paul also talked about the defenseand confirmation of the gospel.
The word confirmation comes from a word,which means to make something sure.
He's talking about theconfirmation of the gospel.
(23:46):
That confirmation came from God.
God confirmed the gospel.
He made it sure how, first ofall, through the miracles Jesus
and the early disciples did.
In Mark 16, verse 20, the Biblesays, “And they went out and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with themand confirming the word through the
(24:07):
accompanying signs.” The miracles theyworked proved that the message they
preached was from God. In Hebrews chaptertwo verses three and four, the Bible
says the Gospel was “confirmed to us bythose who heard him, God also bearing
witness both with signs and wonders andvarious miracles and gifts of the Holy
(24:32):
Spirit, according to his own will.”
These Philippian Christiansshared in that work.
This means that they had receivedmiraculous gifts of the spirit, and
that is at least part of what hemeans in Philippians chapter two
verse one, where he talks abouttheir fellowship of the Spirit.
But there's another way inwhich God confirmed the message.
(24:55):
The prophecies in the Old Testamentabout Jesus, the new covenant
and the church confirmed and werean essential part of the gospel.
These prophecies were madehundreds of years before they were
fulfilled in the New Testament.
That could not have happened by accident.
It could not have been coincidencebecause those prophecies
(25:16):
were too detailed to be that.
This is why you find the apostlesand disciples using Old Testament
prophecy to prove that is to confirmthe gospel in Acts chapter two.
Peter quoted from the book of Joeland the Book of Psalms to show and
prove that Jesus was the Christ.
In Acts chapter eight, Philipshowed the Ethiopian eunuch that
(25:40):
the section in Isaiah he wasreading from was fulfilled in Jesus.
That section was Isaiah chapter 53.
In Acts 18, verse 28,
Apollos vigorously “refuted the Jewspublicly, showing from the Scriptures
that Jesus is the Christ.” The PhilippianChristians took part in this work.
(26:02):
They pointed people to the proof of theNew Testament from the Old Testament.
They encouraged and supported Paul ashe proved the gospel to many souls, and
what a wonderful feeling it is to knowthat we have been honored by God to
teach people those same truths today.
Beginning in verse nine, he talksmore about what he prayed for them.
(26:23):
In the verses before this, Paul talkedabout his feelings, his joy in verse
four, his confidence in verse six,having them in his heart in verse seven,
and how deeply his heart longed tosee and be with them in verse eight.
Then in verses nine through 11, hesays, “And this I pray, that your
love may abound still more and morein knowledge and in all discernment,
(26:48):
that you may approve the things thatare excellent, that you may be sincere
and without offense till the day ofChrist; being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by JesusChrist to the glory and praise of God.”
Now he's praying for them even more.
He prayed that their lovewould grow more and more.
(27:09):
He's not talking about a love likemany people would define it today.
The word love to a lot of peopletoday means how they feel and what
they want, but the love Jesus teachesus to have is not simply a feeling.
It means doing what is right.
It means knowing his will and obeying him.
It means using the good judgment that hegives us through the study of his word.
(27:31):
Notice what he says in verse nine.
He prays that their love mayabound still more and more in
knowledge and all discernment.
True love is based on true knowledge,the knowledge of God and his will.
It involves discernment.
Love doesn't approve ofanything and everything.
The love God wants us to have meansthat we love good and we hate evil.
(27:55):
That's the kind of love God showsin the Old Testament through
all the examples we read there.
And we are to have thesame kind of love today.
Paul is praying that these Christianswill grow in that kind of love
in which Christians know thedifference between right and wrong.
But Paul doesn't stop there.
He prays that they may approve thethings that are excellent in verse 10.
(28:20):
As they grow in their love, they growin their understanding, and as they
grow in their understanding, they growin their ability to discern things.
The same is true with us.
We need more love.
Most people agree with that, butthe Bible qualifies that love.
It says that that love musthave knowledge to go with it.
It says that love must be discriminatingor discerning, not simple and gullible.
(28:46):
The Bible says in Hebrews chapter five,verse 14, that we are to have our senses,
that is, our spiritual senses, “exercisedto discern both good and evil.” But this
verse in Philippians chapter one, versenine involves more than just telling the
difference between right and wrong. Itmeans that we are to discriminate between
the good, the better, and the best. Itmeans that we're not to be satisfied
(29:10):
with something just because we say,“Well, there's nothing wrong with it.”
When we grow as Christians, we learn tolook for the highest good in our choices.
And Paul also prays for theirhearts when he says that he's
praying for them to be sincere.
Are you noticing in Paul's prayerfor these Christians that he doesn't
just pray about what they do?
He doesn't just pray for what people seeon the outside in the work they're doing.
(29:33):
He prays for their inside.
He prays for their love, theirknowledge, their discernment, and
now he prays for their sincerity.
He also prayed that these Christianswould be “without offense” and that
they would be “filled with the fruitsof righteousness to the glory and
praise of God.” He prayed that theirlife would be so pure and holy that
they wouldn't cause other people tostumble with their words and actions.
(29:56):
He prayed that their whole lifewould be full of these good fruits.
These people were already goodand faithful Christians, but Paul
prays that they will be even betterChristians, and that needs to be
the prayer of every Christian today.
Thank you for listeningto My God and My Neighbor.
Stay connected with our podcaston our website, and on Apple,
Spotify, YouTube, or whereverrefined podcasts are distributed.
(30:21):
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
Hi, I am Kerry Duke, host of My Godand My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredWord to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
The little book we've been talking aboutthat has so much teaching for our time
(00:22):
is the book of Philippians, and we'regoing to start in Philippians chapter
one, verse one (00:25):
“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all
the saints in Christ Jesus who are inPhilippi, with the bishops and deacons.”
Right away we see a verse that is veryneeded today because it talks about the
saints, that is, the Christians who areat Philippi with the bishops and deacons.
(00:48):
In the New Testament, thereare two offices in the
church (00:51):
bishops and deacons.
Those are the only two officesin the New Testament church.
The bishops are the overseers.
That's another word for bishop.
A bishop means one who oversees the flock.
And when it talks about thesebishops, remember that that is a
word that means the same thing andrefers to the same office as elders.
(01:14):
We know that because of Titus chapter oneverses five and seven, because there Paul
talks about the elders and the bishopsin the same breath and in the same sense.
We find the same relationshipin Acts chapter 20.
The Bible says in Acts 20 verse17 that Paul called for the elders
of the church at Ephesus, and thenin verse 28 he said that the Holy
(01:37):
Spirit had made them overseers.
So who are the elders?
They are called overseers.
Who are the overseers?
They're the ones who are called elders.
The third word, which isgreatly misunderstood and often
misapplied, is the word pastor.
The word pastor means a shepherd.
Most of the time, when you findthat original word translated,
(02:00):
it is translated a shepherd.
Well, when we talk about shepherds inthe church, we need to ask a question.
Who are the ones the Bible specificallysays feed, that is, shepherd the flock?
The answer is in First Peter chapterfive, verses one through four.
That's where Peter said that hewas an elder and he was exhorting
those elders that he was writingto, to shepherd the flock.
(02:24):
So who are the shepherds of the flock?
Those are elders.
Those are the bishops; those arethe pastors or the shepherds.
So this goes against hundreds ofyears of denominational traditions.
We might say that thosedenominational traditions go
against this almost 2000-year-oldteaching of the Apostle Paul.
(02:45):
The Bible nowhere gives one manthe authority to be over a church.
You don't find that in the Bible.
You never find a priestbeing over a congregation.
You never find a bishop being over acongregation or a group of congregations,
and you certainly don't find a popebeing over the universal church.
You never find in the NewTestament where any writer
(03:08):
referred to the pastor of a church.
That's not there.
What you do find in Acts chapter 14verse 23 is that the Bible says that
they “ordained elders in every church.”
So there were a group of men, a pluralityof men who oversaw a single congregation.
(03:29):
The whole idea of having a biggovernment in the church is unscriptural.
It's unbiblical because there's nodirect statement in the Bible that would
authorize that kind of church government.
There is no example in the New Testamentof that kind of church government,
and there is no implication in theBible anywhere that man has the right
to govern His church in that way.
(03:51):
There were small pockets, there werelone voices, even in the dark ages and in
the Reformation period, which disagreedwith these forms of church government.
John Wycliffe in 1384 said thatthere are only two offices in the
church—bishops and deacons, justlike the apostle Paul says here in
Philippians chapter one, verse one.
(04:13):
Now, Paul doesn't go into allthe details about these offices.
He doesn't give the qualifications.
You read the qualifications for eldersand deacons in First Timothy three, and
again, you find the qualifications forelders or bishops in Titus chapter one.
Here, he simply alludes to this.
So this is just one more reference tothe fact that the Lord's Church has
(04:35):
this kind of organization in it, andthat is that it has elders and deacons.
Ideally, when men meet thesequalifications, and even though that
is not the main point of this letter,it does show that this is consistent
with, this harmonizes with, what wefind in the rest of the New Testament.
Now, let's continue to read in verse two: “Grace to you and peace from God, our (04:51):
undefined
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thankmy God upon every remembrance of you,
always in every prayer of mine, makingrequest for you all with joy.” Paul said
in verse three that he thanked God everytime he thought of these Christians.
(05:12):
And when he thought of them, henot only thanked God for them,
but he prayed that God would blessthem and their work for the Lord.
And notice in verse fourthat he did this with joy.
That's something Paul talks aboutoften in this book of Philippians.
Many preachers have pointed this outin sermons over the years, and if you
read the whole book, you can't miss it.
(05:33):
And if you think about what he'sbeen through and where he is when he
writes this book, it will help youto appreciate his attitude even more.
When Paul was in the city ofPhilippi in Act 16, he and Silas
were beaten and thrown into prison.
But even when they were inprison and shackles, they
prayed and sang praises to God.
(05:54):
They didn't grumble and complain.
They didn't whine and cryabout how they'd been treated.
They praised God.
They baptized several people inspite of how they'd been persecuted.
That's how the church began in Philippi.
Paul is writing to the people inthat very city who obeyed the gospel
and became members of the church.
And it's interesting that he tells them inthe last verse of Philippians chapter one
(06:19):
that they saw what he had been through.
Paul taught them by exampleand not just by word.
So many times we thinkabout what Paul said.
And we should, because he wrote all theseletters that we have in the New Testament.
But if you think about it, Paultaught many Christians many lessons
with his life, not just his words.
(06:40):
That's what he did in Acts chapter 16 whenhe was preaching in the city of Philippi.
Now it's years later, and he's writingthis letter to the church in that city.
Do you remember where Paulis when he writes this book?
He's a prisoner again, years later.
This time he's in Rome.
He's not in a prison likea jail cell or a dungeon.
(07:02):
This time he's under house arrest.
You can read about that in Actschapter 28, verse 30 and 31.
He was allowed to have visitorsand even taught people the gospel,
but still he was not a free man.
He couldn't go out and preach atdifferent places like he used to.
He was confined to his own quarters.
And do you remember what hesaid about his health condition?
(07:25):
He had some kind of illness thathe called a thorn in the flesh.
Whatever it was, it was souncomfortable and unpleasant that
he asked God three times to takeit away, but the Lord didn't.
So think about everythingthat Paul went through.
The isolation and loneliness, thepersecution and incarceration, the
(07:45):
chronic illness he suffered with, andall this is just a small part of all
the trials he endured, and yet oneof the first things he talks about
in this letter is the joy he had.
You see, that joy didn'tcome from earthly pleasures.
Paul didn't even have the freedomto go outside and roam like you and
(08:06):
I do, to go where he wanted to go.
And on top of that, his health wasn'tgood and he didn't feel good sometimes.
So what brought him joy in life?
It's simple.
The Christian people he loved and caredabout, that's what brought him joy.
He said in Philippians one, verseseven, “I have you in my heart.” In
(08:27):
verse eight, he said, “For God ismy witness how greatly I long for
you all with the affection of JesusChrist.” In chapter four verse one, he
said these Philippian Christians werehis “joy and crown.” True happiness
comes from people, not things, and itcomes from the right kind of people.
(08:48):
Paul wasn't happy beingaround just anybody.
He was human just like the rest of us.
And his Christian convictionswouldn't allow him to enjoy
being around ungodly people.
And sometimes peopleattacked him personally.
In Second Timothy, chapter four,verse 14, Paul said that Alexander the
Coppersmith had done him much evil.
(09:08):
And there were times when Paul wasaggravated and upset with Christian
people who were not doing what was right.
He loved the Christians at Corinth,but he didn't always feel the same
way about them as he felt aboutthese Christians at Philippi.
Whenever Paul thought about theseChristians, he thanked God and prayed
for them, and he did it with joy.
(09:29):
These Christian people gave him peaceof mind, and they gave him peace inside,
even though they weren't with him.
He was in Rome and they were in Philippi,and they couldn't use the internet
to see and talk with each other.
They had a closeness that goesfar beyond modern technology.
They had a bond that couldn't be severed.
(09:50):
Paul, thanked God, he said, “for theirfellowship in the gospel from the
first day until now” in verse five.
The word fellowship means sharing.
It means joint participation.
The church at Philippi supportedthe preaching of the gospel.
They helped Paul time and againin his work, and Paul never
forgot that he appreciated it.
(10:12):
Toward the end of this book, in chapterfour, verses 14 through 16, Paul said,
“Nevertheless, you have done well,that you shared in my distress. Now
you Philippians know also that in thebeginning of the gospel when I departed
from Macedonia, no church shared with meconcerning giving and receiving but you
(10:34):
only; for even in Thessalonica, you sentaid once and again for my necessities.”
It's sad today that when Christianpeople hear the word fellowship,
the only thing they think about isgetting together and associating and
having a meal together and so forth.
But fellowship is much more than that.
It's not just sharingeach other's company.
(10:56):
It's sharing each other's troubles.
It's sharing our money andour food and our clothing with
each other when we're in need.
When Paul thought about all thatthey had done for him, it touched his
heart when he was under house arrestbeing guarded by Roman soldiers.
It moved him even more to know thatthey did this all for the Lord.
(11:17):
They didn't just givebecause they love Paul.
They gave because they loved Godand believed in the work that Paul
was doing and they wanted to help.
That is true fellowship.
That's real genuine happiness.
That's true.
Peace of mind.
That's a life with meaning.
And remember Paul istalking about praying.
(11:37):
He said in verse three that hethanked God for these Christians.
He asked God to be withthem in verse four.
What I'm saying is this.
Paul begins this book talkingabout how much he prayed.
He put his trust in God, and thenin the last chapter, Philippians
four, he tells us not to worry.
Instead, he tells us topray and be thankful.
(11:59):
Then and only then can we have thepeace that passes understanding.
That's Philippians four,verses six and seven.
Look at how Paul trusted in Godin Philippians one, verse six.
He said he was “confident of this verything, that he who has begun a good work
in you will complete it until the day ofJesus Christ.” Paul had confidence that
(12:23):
God would bless the work of these people.
He said God had begun a good work in them.
The Lord did that when he sentPaul and Silas to preach there.
They preached the gospel.
They baptized Lydia and her household.
They baptized the jailkeeper and his household.
That's how God startedthis good work in Philippi.
(12:45):
They followed the same pattern.
We see when the church began on PentecostDay in Acts two, 3000 people in Acts
two were baptized for the remissionof their sins [Acts two verse 38].
And then God added these saved peopleto his church [Acts two, verse 47].
Now Paul is writing to thechurch at Philippi years after
(13:07):
the congregation started.
He's telling them that God blessedthem in the beginning and that
God will bless them to the end.
That's confidence.
That's peace of mind.
That's the only real and lasting reasonto rejoice if anybody realizes that
his life was in the hands of God.
(13:27):
Paul did.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes chapternine, verse one, that the righteous,
the wise, and their works are “in thehand of God.” Paul understood that.
He didn't just talk aboutGod being in control.
He knew it.
He believed it, and he lived by it.
Do you remember him saying that for meto live is Christ and to die is gain?
(13:53):
That's in the same chapter inPhilippians chapter one, verse 21.
Paul said he was confident that God wouldbless these Christians to the very end in
their work that they were doing for him.
They had their part to do, they hadto do the work, but all that depended
on God, just as it does with us.
(14:13):
Paul reminds them later in chapter two,verse 13, that it is “God who works
in you both to do and to will for hisgood pleasure.” Does that remind you
of something he told the Corinthians?Paul said, “I planted, Apollo watered,
but God gave the increase” [FirstCorinthians chapter three, verse six].
(14:36):
Paul and these Christians worked together.
They supported him.
They prayed for him.
He taught them and prayed for them.
He taught many people andhelped many other churches, and
they helped him do all that.
That is sharing in the work.
That's the idea of fellowship.
But there's something elsePaul said that they did.
(14:56):
They stood up for the truth with him.
They stood with him ashe preached the gospel.
That wasn't easy.
It certainly wasn't popular in someplaces, but they had the courage, the
faith, and the love to stand strong.
Paul said in verse seven, “Just as it isright for me to think this of you all,
(15:17):
because I have you in my heart inasmuchas both in my chains and in the defense
and confirmation of the gospel, you allare partakers with me of grace.” Why
were these Christians so dear to Paul?
Because of their fellowship with him!
Notice that he says thatthey were partakers with him.
(15:39):
The word partaker is from thesame root word for fellowship.
And what were they partaking of with him?
What were they participatingin or fellowshiping Paul with?
Three things.
He said that they werepartakers in his chains.
He was a prisoner.
When he had to be taken to a trial, hewas chained and escorted by soldiers.
(16:02):
So these Christians shared orfellowshiped in this trial of
Paul; they sympathized with him.
They prayed for him.
They sent aid to help him.
They did what the Bible tells us weshould do in Hebrews 13 verse three.
That is, remember people who are inprison as if we are in prison with them.
But the next thing Paul said theyfellowshiped him in might be a little
(16:26):
surprising to some Bible readers.
Paul said that they were partakerswith him in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel.
Think about those two words.
Paul said the work of the gospel isnot just about proclaiming the gospel.
He said, we must defend the gospel.
Paul defended the gospelagainst false teaching.
(16:48):
In verse 17, he said, “I am appointedfor the defense of the gospel.” And all
you have to do is to turn to the Bookof Acts to see Paul defending the truth.
In Acts chapter nine, verse 22, Paul“confounded the Jews who dwelt in
Damascus proving that this Jesusis the Christ.” In Acts chapter
(17:10):
13, verse 45 and 46, he rebuked thejealous Jewish leaders at Antioch.
In Acts chapter 14, he stoodagainst a crowd of people who
thought he was some kind of God.
In Acts chapter 15, he and Barnabashad a major argument with some Jewish
men in the church who were tellingthe Gentile Christians they had to
(17:31):
keep the law of Moses to be saved.
In Acts chapter 16, we see hisshare of opposition in the very
city where these readers lived.
Philippi.
In Acts chapter 17, he defended thegospel to the Jews in several cities.
In Thessalonica, he went into theirsynagogue and “reasoned with them
from the scriptures, explaining anddemonstrating that the Christ had
(17:55):
to suffer and rise again from thedead” [Acts 17 verses two and three].
And when he went to the city of Athensin Acts chapter 17, he definitely put
on the whole armor of God and tookthe sword of the Spirit in his hand.
That's where he encountered Greekphilosophers who challenged his beliefs.
Paul stood up in the midst ofthem, and he defended the true
(18:18):
God and the gospel of his son.
Athens was hostile territory.
It was full of idolatry.
It had a long reputation for beingthe intellectual center of Greece.
So how did Paul defend thegospel in a situation like this?
The first thing he did was totalk about God being the creator.
(18:39):
He didn't use a lot of big wordsor complex logical arguments.
He simply taught what Davidwrote in Psalm 19 verse one.
“The heavens declare the glory of God andthe firmament shows his handiwork.” Paul
told these unbelievers right away thatGod made the world and everything in it.
In verse 24, he showed themthat idolatry was ridiculous.
(19:01):
He even quoted some of their Greekwriters who recognized the supreme being.
He proved logically that God exists.
We find him defending thefaith again in Acts chapter 18.
This time he is in the city of Corinth.
The Bible says in verse four thathe reasoned in the synagogue every
Sabbath and persuaded Jews andGreeks, but the Jews in that city
(19:25):
didn't like what he was doing.
So Paul again found himselfon the defensive, but none
of that discouraged Paul.
He stayed there for a year anda half teaching these people the
gospel in the city of Corinth.
Acts Chapter 19.
Paul is in the city of Ephesus and inthe city of Ephesus, he was attacked
and challenged on all directions.
(19:46):
There were people there whohad not been baptized properly.
There were Jews that opposed him.
There were fake miracle workers, andthere were all kinds of people that made
their living by making and selling idols.
There was a huge uproar, and accordingto what Paul says in two Corinthians
chapter one, his life was in danger.
(20:06):
God delivered him.
And what about the letters Paul wrote?
Time and again, you see himdefending the faith and telling
Christians to do the same.
When he wrote the book of FirstCorinthians, he defended marriage,
worship, and the resurrection of the dead.
In the Book of Galatians, he exposedJewish men in the church who were
binding the law of Moses on the Gentiles.
(20:29):
You also see in that same bookin Galatians chapter two, that
Paul didn't play any favorites.
He wasn't partial whenhe defended the gospel.
The apostle Peter himself had gone alongwith how these false teachers treated the
Gentile members of the church, and Paulconfronted him in front of everybody.
We see him defending the faith in theBook of Colossians in chapter two, and
(20:51):
especially when he writes to Timothy.
In the book of First Timothyand Second Timothy, he tells
Timothy to preach the word and todefend it against false doctrine.
When he wrote to Titus in chapterone verses nine through 11, he said
that elders in the church must beready to disprove false teaching.
And in the verse we're looking at,in Philippians chapter one, verse
(21:14):
seven, Paul said that these Christiansshared in his defense of the gospel.
They didn't turn their back on him.
They weren't afraid to stand with him.
They were partners with himin the defense of the gospel.
Not everybody stood with Paul.
As a matter of fact, in his last letter,the book of second Timothy, Paul said,
(21:34):
“At my first defense, no one stood withme, but all men forsook me” [Second
Timothy, chapter four, verse 16].
He's not talking specificallythere about defending the gospel.
He's talking about his first trialor defense in court, but still
this shows that some were afraidto have anything to do with him.
Not the Philippians though.
(21:55):
They stood firm with him in hardtimes as well as good times.
Do Christians today understandthat we are to defend the truth?
The Bible says in First Peter chapterthree, verse 15 to “always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks youa reason for the hope that is in you with
meekness and fear.” The Bible also says inthe book of Jude verse three, that we are
(22:20):
to “earnestly contend for the faith, whichwas once for all delivered to the saints.”
Jesus Christ certainly defended the truth.
How many times do you see Him arguingwith the Pharisees and yet some Christians
today say, “I don't argue with people.I tell them what I believe if they ask
(22:40):
me, but I don't disagree with theirbeliefs.” Is that what Jesus did?
Is that what Paul did?
Is that what John the Baptist did?
Is that what the early disciples did?
Is that what the prophets ofGod in the Old Testament did?
And yet the book of Philippiansteaches us that Paul, the great
(23:00):
defender of the faith, was not sourand bitter and angry all the time.
He had great peace and joy.
He was very content.
It's true that he lost friendsbecause of his stand for the truth.
He didn't get along with hisrelatives because he was a Christian.
He even said in Romans chapternine verses one through three that
he was very sad and heartbrokenbecause his relatives were lost.
(23:24):
But he always found peace in God.
That's one of the tremendouslessons that you and I need to
learn from the book of Philippians.
But Paul also talked about the defenseand confirmation of the gospel.
The word confirmation comes from a word,which means to make something sure.
He's talking about theconfirmation of the gospel.
(23:46):
That confirmation came from God.
God confirmed the gospel.
He made it sure how, first ofall, through the miracles Jesus
and the early disciples did.
In Mark 16, verse 20, the Biblesays, “And they went out and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with themand confirming the word through the
(24:07):
accompanying signs.” The miracles theyworked proved that the message they
preached was from God. In Hebrews chaptertwo verses three and four, the Bible
says the Gospel was “confirmed to us bythose who heard him, God also bearing
witness both with signs and wonders andvarious miracles and gifts of the Holy
(24:32):
Spirit, according to his own will.”
These Philippian Christiansshared in that work.
This means that they had receivedmiraculous gifts of the spirit, and
that is at least part of what hemeans in Philippians chapter two
verse one, where he talks abouttheir fellowship of the Spirit.
But there's another way inwhich God confirmed the message.
(24:55):
The prophecies in the Old Testamentabout Jesus, the new covenant
and the church confirmed and werean essential part of the gospel.
These prophecies were madehundreds of years before they were
fulfilled in the New Testament.
That could not have happened by accident.
It could not have been coincidencebecause those prophecies
(25:16):
were too detailed to be that.
This is why you find the apostlesand disciples using Old Testament
prophecy to prove that is to confirmthe gospel in Acts chapter two.
Peter quoted from the book of Joeland the Book of Psalms to show and
prove that Jesus was the Christ.
In Acts chapter eight, Philipshowed the Ethiopian eunuch that
(25:40):
the section in Isaiah he wasreading from was fulfilled in Jesus.
That section was Isaiah chapter 53.
In Acts 18, verse 28,
Apollos vigorously “refuted the Jewspublicly, showing from the Scriptures
that Jesus is the Christ.” The PhilippianChristians took part in this work.
(26:02):
They pointed people to the proof of theNew Testament from the Old Testament.
They encouraged and supported Paul ashe proved the gospel to many souls, and
what a wonderful feeling it is to knowthat we have been honored by God to
teach people those same truths today.
Beginning in verse nine, he talksmore about what he prayed for them.
(26:23):
In the verses before this, Paul talkedabout his feelings, his joy in verse
four, his confidence in verse six,having them in his heart in verse seven,
and how deeply his heart longed tosee and be with them in verse eight.
Then in verses nine through 11, hesays, “And this I pray, that your
love may abound still more and morein knowledge and in all discernment,
(26:48):
that you may approve the things thatare excellent, that you may be sincere
and without offense till the day ofChrist; being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by JesusChrist to the glory and praise of God.”
Now he's praying for them even more.
He prayed that their lovewould grow more and more.
(27:09):
He's not talking about a love likemany people would define it today.
The word love to a lot of peopletoday means how they feel and what
they want, but the love Jesus teachesus to have is not simply a feeling.
It means doing what is right.
It means knowing his will and obeying him.
It means using the good judgment that hegives us through the study of his word.
(27:31):
Notice what he says in verse nine.
He prays that their love mayabound still more and more in
knowledge and all discernment.
True love is based on true knowledge,the knowledge of God and his will.
It involves discernment.
Love doesn't approve ofanything and everything.
The love God wants us to have meansthat we love good and we hate evil.
(27:55):
That's the kind of love God showsin the Old Testament through
all the examples we read there.
And we are to have thesame kind of love today.
Paul is praying that these Christianswill grow in that kind of love
in which Christians know thedifference between right and wrong.
But Paul doesn't stop there.
He prays that they may approve thethings that are excellent in verse 10.
(28:20):
As they grow in their love, they growin their understanding, and as they
grow in their understanding, they growin their ability to discern things.
The same is true with us.
We need more love.
Most people agree with that, butthe Bible qualifies that love.
It says that that love musthave knowledge to go with it.
It says that love must be discriminatingor discerning, not simple and gullible.
(28:46):
The Bible says in Hebrews chapter five,verse 14, that we are to have our senses,
that is, our spiritual senses, “exercisedto discern both good and evil.” But this
verse in Philippians chapter one, versenine involves more than just telling the
difference between right and wrong. Itmeans that we are to discriminate between
the good, the better, and the best. Itmeans that we're not to be satisfied
(29:10):
with something just because we say,“Well, there's nothing wrong with it.”
When we grow as Christians, we learn tolook for the highest good in our choices.
And Paul also prays for theirhearts when he says that he's
praying for them to be sincere.
Are you noticing in Paul's prayerfor these Christians that he doesn't
just pray about what they do?
He doesn't just pray for what people seeon the outside in the work they're doing.
(29:33):
He prays for their inside.
He prays for their love, theirknowledge, their discernment, and
now he prays for their sincerity.
He also prayed that these Christianswould be “without offense” and that
they would be “filled with the fruitsof righteousness to the glory and
praise of God.” He prayed that theirlife would be so pure and holy that
they wouldn't cause other people tostumble with their words and actions.
(29:56):
He prayed that their whole lifewould be full of these good fruits.
These people were already goodand faithful Christians, but Paul
prays that they will be even betterChristians, and that needs to be
the prayer of every Christian today.
Thank you for listeningto My God and My Neighbor.
Stay connected with our podcaston our website, and on Apple,
Spotify, YouTube, or whereverrefined podcasts are distributed.
(30:21):
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.