Philippians 2:19-30 || The Gospel is Radical

As we come to the halfway point of Paul's letter to the Philippian church, we are interrupted with what seems like a couple of travelogues. Timothy's future plans, Paul's hopes, and instructions about welcoming home the otherwise unknown Epaphroditus. While personal updates and instructions aren't abnormal in Pauline epistles, it is a little strange that Paul places them right in the middle of this communication to the Philippians. This should cause us to pause and ask: why? Why does Paul seem to break from one train of thought to talk about two fellow believers? But what if this is not simply a travel update, but the final point of Paul's exhortation for radical unity among the Philippian believers? What do Timothy and Epaphroditus have to do with Christ-imitating humility among the church?