Phillipian 1: Christians are Saints

Phil 1:1 To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We often don’t refer to each other as saints, but that is what Paul often does. What does saint mean? A saint is not some kind of super Christian who gets canonized by the catholic church. No, a saint is a Christian. The word for saint is hagios--which means one set apart. Every Christian has had a miracle done inside him. He has been set apart for God. He has been pulled out of the darkness and into his wonderful light.

But you may say, "Well, I don’t feel special. I don’t feel like I have been set apart for God." But believers are not to be led by feeling. You need to put your faith into the facts. Remember Paul never identifies the church as being sinners, he identifies them with being "set apart" ones. He always encourages them to act out of who they ALREADY are--to live up to what they have already attained.

Do you consider yourself, and identify yourself as a saint? Does this affect your actions?

Deacons and Overseers. In one sentence Paul captures the whole of the Christian church . Saints, overseers and deacons. Overseers were elders and were responsible for the feeding of the flock . Deacons served the church in practical ways. Notice that even though there were these offices that Paul addresses the letter to the whole church. The letter is not addressed to the leaders. Interesting. Nowadays an important letter would be delivered to the pastor of the church, but Paul considers the whole church responsible for its proper conduct.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This was Paul’s common greeting. Notice that "grace" always comes before the shalom. Shalom (peace)was the common Jewish greeting, but now grace comes before it. Grace enables the peace that we have with God. This expression was invented by the Christians. Without grace there could be no peace with God. "Grace and Peace" is uniquely a new covenant greeting.