Charles Ellicott Commentary Philippians 1:5

"for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;" — Philippians 1:5 (ASV)

For your fellowship in the gospel.—More properly, towards the gospel, or, as affecting the gospel. The construction is illustrated by the more limited use of the same Greek word (2 Corinthians 9:13) in the sense of “contribution”; in which case the word “towards” introduces the objects of the almsgiving there specified.

Accordingly, St. Paul must be taken here to mean the partnership of the Philippians in the ministry of the gospel, of which he speaks still more distinctly in Philippians 1:7. That partnership had been shown , even in the beginning of the gospel, by a contribution to St. Paul’s needs—not perhaps his personal needs only—which he consented to accept from them, and (as far as we know) from them only.