Chunks: Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Friendships in the ancient world carried reciprocal expectations. Paul has already used the language of the marketplace to speak of the Philippians’ gift as being “credited” to their account, and now he says that he’s “received full payment” (4:18). But it’s not that Paul thinks they owe him. He wants them to think of their friendship differently, as a three-way relationship that includes God.