Joe Hellerman made a great statement about what kind of pastors are needed today. Up until this point in the book, he had developed the importance of social status and honor in Philippi including Roman citizenship. Then, after drawing similarities between how Paul and the apostles didn’t immediately claim their rights of Roman citizenship when ministering in Philippi and how that mirrored Christ at the cross (Phil 2:5-11), he made this application:

Today, perhaps more than ever, we pastors at our church, like Paul, you were status of the story is a trust to be employed – even set aside, if necessary – in the service of their of their brothers and sisters in Christ (118).

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