Epistle to the Philippians

Jan 8, 2012 Bob Eckel 1

Introduction/Overview

Epistle to the Philippians

Jan 8, 2012 Bob Eckel 2

Introduction/Overview

Forum

Market, Basilica

Epistle to the Philippians

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Introduction/Overview

Kavala, GreecePhillipi in 9 miles NW

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Jan 8, 2012 Bob Eckel 4

Introduction/Overview• Primary Source: Notes on Philippians by Dr. Thomas

L. Constable, 2010 – Also Introduction, Background, and Outline to Philippians,

Greg Herrick, 2009• Some call this epistle The Epistle of Mental Attitude.

– Your thoughts here?• Original name of the city was Krinides

– (literally ‘springs’). • It stood about 10 miles inland from the Aegean Sea in

the Roman province of Macedonia. • In 356 B.C. Philip II, King of Macedonia and father of

Alexander the Great, renamed the town after himself and enlarged it.

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Introduction/Overview• In 168 BC Philippi became part of the Roman empire when

Rome defeated the Persians at the battle of Pydna.– Macedonia was then divided into four districts, Philippi belonging to the

first. • In 42 B.C. the Romans Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus defeated

Brutus and Cassius in a battle fought just west of Philippi. – Philippi would then became a military colony.

• Subsequent battles in 42 and 31 B.C. resulted in Philippi receiving even higher status. – The citizens enjoyed autonomous government, immunity from taxes, and

treatment as if they lived in Italy.– Pride the Philippians took in their city is suggested in scripture.

• Acts 16:20-21, Phil 3:20. • Described in Acts 16:12 as a "leading city of the district of Macedonia"

– This may refer to its colonial status - it was the only Roman colony in the area.

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Introduction/Overview• The Via Egnatia, the main highway from Rome to the east, ran through Philippi

and brought much commerce and many travelers to Philippi. • Also the nearby Gangites (modern Angitis) River constituted another ancient

thoroughfare (Acts 16:13).• The church at Philippi

– Philippi was the first town in which Paul preached after he crossed the Aegean Sea from Troas and entered what we now call Europe (~49 A.D., Acts 16:11-40).

– The religious life of those in Philippi was marked by very syncretistic practices including the worship of the emperor (Julius, Augustus, and Claudius), the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis, as well as many other deities.

– A.D. 50 - the city had few Jewish residents and the first converts were Lydia, a Gentile businesswoman from Thyatira in the province of Asia Minor, and the Philippian jailer.

• Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth and a proselyte to Judaism (Acts 16:14). – She had probably converted to Judaism (since her name is a Gentile name) when

living in Thyatira and brought her faith with her to Philippi. . • The church evidently met in Lydia's home at first (Acts 16:15).

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Introduction/Overview– Paul's companions on his first visit to Philippi

• Silas, Timothy, and Luke. • Luke may have stayed in Philippi to establish the new converts when the other

members of Paul's missionary team moved on to Thessalonica. – Luke dropped the use of "we" from Acts 17:1 - 20:4.

– Two events worth noting:• In Acts 16:16-18 Paul encountered a slave girl with a demonic spirit which

could foretell the future and by which she earned for her masters a great deal of money.

– Paul eventually rebuked the spirit and it left her.– As a result she also lost the ability to foretell the future which created anger on the

part of her owners. • Paul and Silas were then brought before the magistrates charging that the

missionaries were forcing them, as Roman citizens, to follow customs which were unlawful.

– Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after being stripped, beaten, and severely flogged (Acts 16:20-24).

– Around midnight there was an earthquake and all the prison doors flew open. » Paul and Silas did not flee, but instead stayed and shared the gospel with the jailer who

subsequently, and his entire family, came to the Lord (Acts 16:25-34).

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Introduction/Overview» After Paul had made a point about his Roman citizenship to the magistrates, he

was released. – The Philippian Christians sent financial support to Paul in Thessalonica

(Phil 4:15,16)– A.D. 57- Paul may have visited Philippi again during his 3rd missionary

journey. • He traveled from Ephesus to Corinth by land and then from Corinth back to

Miletus, mostly by land. • From there he took a ship to Jerusalem. • The land route he took on both occasions would have led him through Philippi.

– Is Paul the author of Philippians? • Paul claimed to have written the epistle (Phil. 1:1), and references to his

acquaintances, events in his life, and way of thinking point to him as the writer.• The apostle was a prisoner at the time of the writing (Phil. 1:7, 13, 16). • References to the palace guard (1:13) and Caesar's household (4:22) have led

most interpreters to conclude that Paul wrote it from Rome – Although some have defended a Caesarean or Ephesian origin for this epistle.

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Introduction/Overview• In ~A.D. 170, The Marcionite Prologue refers to Paul writing

Philippians from Rome – Evidently he did so during his first Roman imprisonment (A.D. 60-62) during which

time he also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon (the Prison Epistles)• Gordon Fee believed the internal evidence of Philippians puts its writing toward

the end of this period.• Rationale for the Epistle

– The primary purpose of Philippians was to reassure the Philippians.• Epaphroditus, whom they had sent with a gift for Paul and to minister to his

needs in prison, had recovered from a serious illness and was about to return to Philippi.

• Paul built up Epaphroditus in the eyes of his readers (2:25-30), which suggests that they may not have appreciated him adequately for some reason.

– Secondary reasons for sending this letter include • Expressing thanks for the Philippians' gift to Paul in prison (4:10-14) and • Announcing Timothy's approaching visit (2:19).

– Robert Lightner suggested that the book “might even be called a thank-you note to saints in Philippi for their generous gifts.”

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Introduction/Overview– Paul also wanted to explain his desire to revisit his readers (2:24) and to

deal with the problem of the two women in the church who needed to reconcile (4:2).

– One commentator identified the genre of this epistle as a letter of friendship and moral exhortation.

– Without much doubt, of all Paul's epistles Philippians is the most consistently positive and personal.

• It reflects a joyful spirit. • One popular exposition of Philippians stresses the importance of living

joyfully in spite of circumstances.– Paul did not rebuke this church sharply nor did he refer to any major

problems there. • His warnings are of a precautionary nature.

– His occupation with Jesus Christ also stands out. • In 104 verses there are 51 references to the Lord Jesus by name. • There are also many references to the gospel (1:5, 7, 12, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15)

– And the fellowship that Paul and the Philippians shared in the gospel ministry if frequently noted (1:5, 7; 2:1; 3:10; 4:14, 16).

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Introduction/Overview

• The epitomes of this Epistle:– Phil 1:6 ‘being confident of this very thing, that He who has

begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ’.

– Phil 1:21 ‘For to me, to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.’– Phil 2:5-8 ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ

Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross.’

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Introduction/Overview– Phil 2:13 ‘for it is God who works in you both to will

and to do for [His] good pleasure.’– Phil 3:7 ‘But what things were gain to me, these I

have counted loss for Christ.’ – Phil 3:10 ‘that I may know Him and the power of His

resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,’

– Phil 3:14 ‘I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’

– Phil 3:20 ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,’

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Introduction/Overview– Phil 4:6 ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by

prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;’

– Phil 4:12 ‘I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’

– Phil 4:19 ‘And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

• Which verse, or another, would be your favorite?• Now let’s get on with it!