The Venture of the Gospel

This chapter examines the theo-economics of Philippians 1, with some consideration of Philippians 4. It focuses on the financial valences of koinōnia, a term that is often translated as “sharing” or “fellowship” but whose ancient context largely deploys the term in contracts, including land leases and marriage contracts. While in a letter like 1 Corinthians one finds ekklēsia discourse, in Philippians one instead finds koinōnia. That is, 1 Corinthians uses a political term to describe the organizational relationships among the members of the community, while Philippians uses a theo-economic term to describe the organizational relationship between Paul and the Philippians. By thinking about the broader context of the term as one in which parties share risk and reward, one can better understand how a “koinōnia in the gospel” may have been heard and received as a venture. A focus on the “venture of the gospel” in Phil 1:5 also helps explain the language found in Paul's discussion of his imprisonment as a contribution to the prokopē (progress) of the gospel venture (1:12). The chapter concludes with an examination of Philippians 4, arguing that it is only within the full theo-economic picture of Philippians 1 that one can understand Philippians 4's language of abundance and lack in relation to the Philippians' financial support for Paul.