“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:”
King James Version (KJV)
1:1 Servants - St. Paul, writing familiarly to the Philippians, does not style himself an apostle. And under the common title of servants, he tenderly and modestly joins with himself his son Timotheus, who had come to Philippi not long after St. Paul had received him, #Acts 16:3|,12. To all the saints - The apostolic epistles were sent more directly to the churches, than to the pastors of them. With the bishops and deacons - The former properly took care of the internal state, the latter, of the externals, of the church, #1Tim 3:2 |- 8; although these were not wholly confined to the one, neither those to the other. The word bishops here includes all the presbyters at Philippi, as well as the ruling presbyters: the names bishop and presbyter, or elder, being promiscuously used in the first ages.
Php 1:1 Greetings from a Roman Prison SUMMARY OF PHILIPPIANS 1: Greetings to the Church and Its Officers. Reasons for Thanksgiving. The Progress of the Gospel in Rome. Different Motives for Preaching the Gospel. The Apostle's Desire to Depart and Be with Christ. Exhortations to Unity and Fortitude. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ. The beloved Timothy was attending and aiding Paul at Rome. The name of Timothy appears at the head of several Epistles (2Co 1:1 Col 1:1 1Th 1:1 2Th 1:1 Phm 1:1). In this letter to be a beloved church, so devoted to him, Paul does not refer to his apostleship in his greeting, as in preceding Epistles (Ro 1:1 1Co 1:1 2Co 1:1 Ga 1:1 Eph 1:1), as one speaking with authority, but exhorts them as a fellow-servant of Christ. To all the saints in Christ Jesus. Every one in Christ, i.e., every Christian was and is a saint. With the bishops and deacons. We find two classes of officers in this church organized by an apostle. There was a plurality of each class. All commentators agree that "the bishops" and "the elders" of the primitive church are the same, only different names of the same office. Paul calls the "elders" of Ephesus "bishops" (see Ac 20:17 in the Revised Version). Also in Tit 1:5,7 he calls an "elder" a "bishop". For the duties of this office, see notes on 1Ti 3:2-7 Tit 1:5-9. The word "overseer", which is a literal translation of the Greek word "episkopos", suggests the nature of the office. The duties of the deacons are supposed to be explained by the work of the "Seven Deacons" ordained in the church at Jerusalem. See Ac 6:1,2. See PNT "1Ti 3:8".