I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.
Philemon 1:6 NIV
Paul and Philemon were friends. More than just friends, they were partners in the faith. They were working together for a common goal, serving in the kingdom of God.
The word for partnership in this verse is koinonia, which can also be translated as fellowship, a close association between people. This relationship between Paul and Philemon was more than just a casual friendship. They shared something in common that drew them together. They had a common faith. But that faith was more than just some things they believed to be true. It involved a life lived in service to their common Lord.
And Paul’s prayer here for Philemon is that their partnership would be effective in deepening Philemon’s understanding of the good things they shared in Christ. That he would be drawn closer to the Lord and know him better because of their partnership.
What Paul expressed to Philemon here should be the common experience of all believers. We are called into a koinonia fellowship as the body of Christ. A partnership that transcends all our differences. And a partnership should enable us to grow ever deeper in our understanding of what we share in Christ.
Seek to develop your partnership with other believers in your local community and throughout the world. Develop a partnership that will be mutually beneficial in helping you both to grow in your faith and effectiveness in service to our common Lord.
