Philippians 1:8 NASB For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
The word “long” that the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to use here is the word from which we get the English term “pathetic.” There’s also a small word attached to the beginning of it that gives it the meaning of being “very or extremely pathetic.” Don’t think of the word pathetic as only used in terms of loss or something negative. It also carries the idea of just “the ridiculous.” The root idea of this word is to suffer deeply with passion. Notice what Paul says his pathetic condition is about. He says that he is extremely pathetic with the affection of Christ for the people in the church at Philippi. I believe that this is a beautiful description of what Paul said about himself in 2 Corinthians 5 when he said that he was controlled or compelled by the love of Christ. As a matter of fact, Paul said that he was so controlled by the love of Christ that some people considered him a madman.
Just another short little word study will help us understand better that verse in Philippians 1. Look at the word “affection.” It literally means “inward parts.” Paul is manifesting his union with Christ through manifesting his union with the extreme affection that Jesus has for people. I believe that when we become pathetic with the affection of Christ for others, then we begin to move in the fullness of Christ, and the signs and wonders of his love will naturally follow. It is impossible to love people with the affection of Christ without miracles happening because it takes the miraculous to extract people out of their brokenness. Let us pray that as people in Christ and in union with His heart, we would become extremely pathetic with the affection of Christ for others.