For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:8 (KJV)

        Paul is expressing the depth of his love for the saints at Philippi. We would say, "I miss you sooo much! The Greek word the King James Version translates "bowels" is splanchnon and refers both to one’s inward parts as well as deep affection. The gross story of the guy who bought the Potter’s Field with Judas’ blood money uses the physical application of the word. The other 9 times it refers to strong emotions.

        When we want to convince someone that we’re serious and not just saying what they want to hear, we might say as the Apostle, "God is my witness," or "God is my record." A good reminder: every deed, and even our idle words are recorded by the Father. He is our witness and He even know the secrets of our heart. We tend to judge others on what we see and hear; Abba judges our motives!

        What Paul is saying here is a reminder of what the Lord Jesus prayed in John 17 – "Father make them one even as We are One. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are one with each other and one with Christ. Our bond goes deeper than DNA; in fact we share a "spiritual" DNA – from our same Father! No wonder we take each other so seriously – we’re kin!

Bruce Montroy

www.SpearMinistries.org         P.O. Box 161, Prescott, AZ 86302                smi@SpearMinistries.org