In Philippians 4:15, Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi to thank them for their consistent financial and material support during his missionary journeys and his imprisonment. Paul specifies that this unique partnership began "in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia."

While Paul supported himself through tentmaking to avoid being a burden, he accepted the gifts from the Philippians because they were sent out of love and a shared commitment to the ministry.