“Hold Fast to the Word of Life!” – Phil. 2:16
It is easy to get the first part of that command of Paul. He says to hold on with a grip that is unbreakable. It is the second part that is more challenging to understand. Hold on to what and for what reason? What is meant by the word of life? The Greek term for word is “logos” and is used to refer both to Christ and Scripture. John begins his Gospel of John speaking of Christ, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. So Paul says to us at Word of Life to hold fast to Christ and the Scriptures which give life.
Several sentences prior to the command to hold fast, Paul tells the Philippians and us to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…?” Okay Paul, what do you mean by that? It sounds like you are talking about our grip, our holding power, so to speak, to the Word. How do we get that grip, that grip that doesn’t ever let go? How can we do it alone?
Question of the week: Who was Epaphroditus, who Paul speaks so caringly about in the Letter to the Philippians?
Answer: Epaphroditus was a fellow Christian missionary of St. Paul’s and is mentioned only in Philippians 2:25 and 4:18. Epaphroditus was the delegate of the Christian community at Philippi who was sent with their gift to Paul during his first imprisonment at Rome. Paul, in 2:25, calls him “my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier.”
