Timothy, An Example of Self-Sacrifice (Phil. 2:19-24)

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Timothy, An Example of Self-Sacrifice (Phil. 2:19-24)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH, on August 27, 2023

Like most physicians of great experience, Dr. Evan O’Neil Kane had become preoccupied with a particular facet of medicine. His strong feelings concerned the use of general anesthesia in major surgery. He believed that most major operations could and should be performed under local anesthetic, for, in his opinion, the hazards of a general anesthesia outweighed the risks of the surgery itself.

For example, Kane cited a surgical candidate who had a history of heart trouble. In some cases a surgeon may be reticent to operate, fearing the effects of the anesthesia on the heart of the patient. And some patients with specific anesthesia allergies never awakened. Kane’s medical mission was to prove to his colleagues once for all the viability of local anesthesia. It would take a great deal of convincing.

Many patients were understandably squeamish at the thought of “being awake while it happens.” Others feared the possibility of anesthesia wearing off in the middle of the surgery. To break down these psychological barriers, Kane would have to find a volunteer who was very brave, a candidate for major surgery who would be willing to accept local anesthesia.

In his distinguished thirty-seven years in the medical field, Kane had performed nearly four thousand appendectomies. So this next appendectomy would be routine in every way except one. Dr. Kane’s patient would remain awake throughout the surgical procedure under local anesthesia.

The operation was scheduled for a Tuesday morning. The patient was prepped, wheeled into the operating room, and the local anesthesia was administered. Kane began as he had thousands of times before, carefully dissecting superficial tissues and clamping blood vessels on his way in. Locating the appendix, the sixty-year-old surgeon deftly pulled it up, excised it, and bent the stump under. Through it all, the patient experienced only minor discomfort. The operation concluded successfully.

The patient rested well that night. In fact, the following day his recovery was said to have progressed better than most postoperative patients. Two days later, the patient was released from the hospital to recuperate at home. Kane had proved his point. The risks of general anesthesia could be avoided in major operations. The potential of local anesthesia had been fully realized, thanks to the example of an innovative doctor and a very brave volunteer.

This took place in 1921. Dr. Kane and the patient who volunteered had a great deal in common. They were the same man. Dr. Kane, to prove the viability of local anesthesia, had operated on himself.[1]

In that illustration, we have an example of one willing to sacrifice for the good of the cause. That is what Jesus did for us. He put Himself in our place on the cross. We have been preaching through Philippians, and a few weeks ago we talked about a passage regarding Jesus making that sacrifice. In today’s passage, we see Timothy as another servant who would set aside his concerns for the concerns of others.

My theme today is:

Timothy, An Example of Self-Sacrifice (Phil. 2:19-24)

  1. Timothy may be coming to you soon (Phil. 2:19).
    1. In the last few weeks, we discussed passages in which Paul exhorted them to good Christian moral living.
    2. Now, we see an example of this sacrificial living.
    3. Timothy is the example.
    4. 2:19: I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
    5. Paul hopes in the Lord…
    6. Notice the phrase “in the Lord” (see verses 24, 29; also, Phil. 3:1; 4:4; 4:10).
    7. In Phil 4:10: “Rejoice in the Lord,” and that means that He is the object of our joy.
    8. See Phil 4:1-2: “in the Lord” is repeated twice.
    9. In this verse: I hope, “in expectation of the Lord.”
    10. I hope “In response of the Lord.”
    11. Paul wants to send Timothy.
    12. Timothy is multi-ethnic. We can see this in Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5 (Grandmother Lois and Mother Eunice).
    13. His Dad was not a spiritual mentor.
    14. From 1 Tim. 5:23, we see that Timothy dealt with sickness.
    15. In 1 Tim. 4:12, we see that he was young.
    16. Paul wants to send Timothy to them soon so that he may hear of news from them.
    17. The primary purpose of Timothy’s visit was to learn the condition of the Philippian believers and to report that to Paul. This would enable Paul to pray for, minister to, and lay plans to help this church better.[2]
    18. “In ancient times letters were written to correspondents at a distance when a favourable opportunity presented itself of forwarding them to their destination …”[3]
  2. Timothy is a self-sacrificing servant of God (Phil. 2:20-23).
    1. Philippians 2:20–23 (ESV): 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me…
    2. In verse 20, Paul contrasts Timothy and others who work with Paul.
    3. In the next few verses, Paul gives a major contrast between Timothy and the others.
    4. There is no one like Timothy.
    5. Timothy will be genuinely concerned for their welfare.
    6. The others all seek after their own interests, but Timothy seeks the interests of the others.
    7. Remember Phil. 2:3-4: consider others more important than yourselves, and look out for the interests of others. Then, remember the example of Christ in Phil. 2:5-11? Timothy is another example. Timothy is an embodiment of Phil. 2:3-4.
    8. Timothy seeks Christ’s interests.
    9. Joni Eareckson Tada shares: I am a competitor, even though I can’t move much. But I’m not the only one. There’s Thad Mandsager. When his parents invited me to their home, I watched Thad and his brother, Nathan, play Nerf basketball in the hallway.
    10. Thad was twelve years old at the time, and because he is paralyzed from the neck down, he operates his power wheelchair with a chin control. This kid balanced the Nerf basketball on his mouth stick and flicked the ball up against the backboard to make his basket. He asked, “Hey, Joni, want to give it a try?” I replied, “Okay, but fair warning: I just might beat you.” Wishful thinking! Me, the famous mouth artist, could barely balance the Nerf ball on the mouth stick. As far as flicking it for a layup, forget it. I couldn’t even hit the backboard.
    11. Another time the Mandsager family came over for a barbecue. Thad brought his Nerf baseball bat. Clenching the bat between his teeth, he sent the ball sailing over the backyard fence. “Hey, Joni,” said he, spitting out the bat, “want to give it a try?” Three strikes later I was out.
    12. Needless to say, Thad is doing okay. He is such an inspiration!
    13. You don’t have to overcome the kinds of obstacles Thad has to inspire other people. The Scripture today reminds us that taking a genuine interest in the welfare of others—taking part in their activities, contributing to their efforts, cheering them on from the sidelines—will place you in a league like “no one else,” as the apostle Paul puts it.
    14. In what ways do you encourage others? How do you strive to use all the gifts God has given you? How are you working to quit complaining? Thad reminds me of all these sterling qualities whenever the paths of our wheels happen to cross.[4]
    15. It seems that the Philippians already knew Timothy.
    16. Paul says that he has no one like him [Timothy]. That means that he has no one else of kindred spirit. This means “one souled.”
    17. Probably Paul meant by “I have no one else of kindred spirit,” that he had no fellow worker with him, at that time, who would do a better job in this assignment than Timothy. Timothy consistently shared Paul’s general outlook and his specific concern for the welfare of the Philippians. Another view is that none of Paul’s other assistants in Rome were willing to travel to Philippi at that time in order to minister to the Philippians.[5]
    18. Both Greek philosophers and Old Testament prophets complained about the scarcity of those fully devoted to the cause. Paul offers many “letters [or passages] of recommendation,” a common ancient form of writing, but he places Timothy, his special emissary, in a category by himself, offering the highest commendation.[6]
    19. So, Timothy is likeminded with Paul.
    20. Timothy seeks Christ’s interest.
    21. What are Christ’s interests?
    22. We saw that in Phil. 2:3-4.
    23. I also think of Matthew 28:19-20.
    24. I think of 1 Tim. 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:8-9 which share that God desires all to be saved.
    25. Christ wants people to be saved.
    26. Christ wants people to be served (Matthew 25:35).
    27. In this case, Christ’s interests are the Philippians.
    28. In verse 22, Paul alludes that they know Timothy. Timothy has proven himself. Timothy has served alongside Paul. We see a paternal image here. Timothy served with Paul like a son.
    29. How did Timothy serve? Paul says that he served like a son with Paul “in the gospel.
    30. They were serving for Christ’s Kingdom.
    31. In verse 23, Paul concludes this section. He hopes to send him just as soon as he sees how it will go with him.
    32. It seems that Paul is waiting to see how things go for him before he can send Timothy.
    33. Constable: Paul hoped, the Lord willing, to send Timothy to Philippi with a report of the apostle’s situation and plans immediately, that is, as soon as he knew the result of his trial. Evidently Paul expected that a decision in his case would be forthcoming soon. Both for the love of the Philippian church and for the effectiveness of his ministry Paul wanted his friends to know about his situation. In this he set us a good example.[7]
    34. What is our attitude like? Is our attitude like the poet who wrote:

I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Real service is what I desire.

I’ll sing You a solo any time, dear Lord,

Just don’t ask me to sing in the choir.

I’ll do what you want me to do, dear Lord,

I like to see things come to pass.

But don’t ask me to teach boys and girls, O Lord.

I’d rather just stay in my class.

I’ll do what you want me to do, dear Lord,

I yearn for Thy kingdom to thrive.

I’ll give you my nickels and dimes, dear Lord.

But please don’t ask me to tithe.

I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

I’ll say what you want me to say;

I’m busy just now with myself, dear Lord,

I’ll help you some other day.[8]

  • Paul also hopes to visit soon (Phil. 2:24).
    1. 2:24: …and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
    2. Paul is also hoping to come and visit them.
    3. Paul was eventually released from prison (cf. Ac 28:30), after which he may have visited the church at Philippi.[9]
    4. Constable shares: Paul believed that he would receive his freedom and would be able to return to Philippi fairly soon (cf. 1:25). However he qualified his hope with the realization that justice does not always prevail in legal courts (cf. Luke 23:13–25). As mentioned previously there is evidence that Nero did release Paul about that time and that the apostle resumed his missionary work.[10]
    5. “The submissive mind is not the product of an hour’s sermon, or a week’s seminar, or even a year’s service. The submissive mind grows in us as, like Timothy, we yield to the Lord and seek to serve others.”[11]
  •  Applications:
      1. Do we hope “in the Lord” (Phil. 2:19, 24)? So many times we see Paul qualify his statements with “in the Lord.” James said the same thing about planning “if it is the Lord’s will” (James 4:15).
      2. Do we think about our vacation plans if it is the Lord’s will?
      3. Do we think about our financial decisions if it is the Lord’s will?
      4. Regardless of whether we can afford something, all of our money is the Lord’s. Do we pray about how much we give to the church? Do we pray about what we purchase?
      5. Are we seeking the Lord’s interests like Timothy (Phil. 2:21)?
      6. Do we share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:8-9)?
      7. Do we love others (Matthew 22:36-40)?
      8. Do we serve others?
      9. Are we dependable? Paul knew that he could count on Timothy (Phil. 2:19-20).
      10. Are we prompt? Are we on time? If we say we will do something, will we?
      11. Do people have to question whether we will forget what we said we would do, or where we said we would be?
      12. Are we humble (Phil. 2:22)?
      13. Are we teachable (Phil. 2:22)?

Bruce Thielemann, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, told of a conversation with a member of his flock who said, “You preachers talk a lot about ‘do unto others,’ but when you get right down to it, it comes down to basin theology.”

Thielemann asked, “Basin theology? What’s that?”

The layman said, “Remember what Pilate did when he had the chance to acquit Jesus? He called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole thing. But Jesus, the night before His death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of the disciples. It all comes down to basin theology: Which one will you use?”[12]

Prayer

[1] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 515–516.

[2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Php 2:19.

[3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Php 2:19.

[4] Taken from More Precious than Silver; By Joni Eareckson Tada; Copyright © 1998; Published in Print by Zondervan, Grand Rapids

[5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Php 2:20.

[6] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Php 2:19–21.

[7] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Php 2:23.

[8] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 516–517.

[9] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Php 2:23.

[10] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Php 2:24.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 516.

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