“Paul and Timotheus, the
servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at
Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God
our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”
(Philippians 1:1-2).
The background
Philippi was one of the major cities
of Macedonia and was named after Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander
the Great. In 42 B.C. Octavius made the city a colony of Rome (Acts 16:12), and
in 31 B.C. Augustus populated it with a large number of Roman veterans and made
it a military post after his victory over Brutus and Cassius. It was like a
Roman island in the midst of other cultures, for while Rome governed many
regions and countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, few threw off their
traditions, language and culture as Philippi did. Very quickly the city became
purely Roman, Latin becoming the official language, and its citizens believing
themselves to be Roman rather than Macedonian. A picture of their loyalty to
Rome can be seen in Acts 16:19-21, “They caught Paul and Silas, and drew
them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates,
saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach
customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being
Romans.” Philippi was considered to be the gateway to Europe for it lay on
the Roman road known as ‘The Egnatian Way’. The city was perched on a range
of hills that separated Europe from Asia and as a result was a natural fortress.
Paul knew that the Philippian converts, whose employment took them on the
Egnatian Way to both the Roman Empire and Asia, could be ambassadors for the
Lord too.
The
church
Philippi was the first city in
Europe to hear the Gospel of Christ in any real way, though we have to assume
that they had received at least vague news about what was taking place in Israel
at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5-11-12). The church
was founded by Paul in A.D. 51 with his team of co-workers (Silas, Timothy and
Luke), after responding to a vision he had in Troas. “Now when they had
gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the
Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they
assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing
by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There
stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and
help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into
Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the
gospel unto them” (Acts 16:6-10). We see that the Holy Spirit had plans
for Philippi even before Paul was called there to bring the first soul to
Christ. If Paul had ignored the leading of the Spirit and gone in the other
direction, we might still be waiting to hear the gospel today. He quickly
realised that just as Philippi was a strategic Roman colony, so it could also be
for the gospel, thus becoming the gateway to the world. It seems that Paul
visited the region during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:11-40). The
Jewish population of the city was so small that they did not even have their own
synagogue but met for worship and prayer beside the River Gangitis, which was
about half a mile from the centre. That there were few Jews in Philippi meant
that the gospel was not hindered as much as it was in other regions. In fact we
read of no opposition from the Jews in this city. It is here that Lydia, the
first Philippian convert to Christianity, opened her home for meetings. Maybe
she was the spark that ignited the flame of generosity in the Philippian church.
“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of
their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing
of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and
take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did,
not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the
will of God” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). A strong bond of friendship developed
between Paul and the church. It seems that he visited the believers on two other
occasions during his third missionary journey (Acts 20:1, 3, 6).
Where the Gospel of Christ abounds,
so the anger of false religion and paganism increases against the church. The
new believers soon encountered persecution, but instead of being defeated, they
grew in number. The story of the conversion of the Philippian Jailor is a case
in point, and it reveals just how effectively the word of God was being
preached. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto
God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so
that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors
were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison
awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his
sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been
fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are
all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and
fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must
I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and
to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and
washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he
had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house” (Acts 16:25-34)
In 52 A.D. Paul ordained Timothy as
the spiritual leader of the church. Later, in 58 A.D. he would return to collect
the offerings the church had raised to assist the poor believers in Jerusalem (2
Corinthians chapter 8 & 9). They were generous givers and so sent financial
assistance to Paul on several occasions (2 Corinthians 11:9; Philippians
4:15-16).
The
author
The Philippian Epistle is clearly
written from Rome while Paul was in prison. Though the date of writing cannot be
positively fixed, it is likely to be around 63 – 64 A.D. Various church
fathers, including Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius and Irenaeus, make mention of or
allude to Paul being the author of this epistle. There is some question whether
Paul wrote this during his first or second imprisonment, but the actual
situation in no way affects the message he wanted to convey. Most scholars
believe that this is the last of Paul’s prison letters. In this epistle the
author communicates his true feelings about his personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ. It also offers us a better insight to his character, for the
harsh authoritarian that some commentators think Paul was is not evident here.
The
themes
Whilst there are several themes
running through the letter, the major could be said to be ‘The Spiritual
Experience of the True Christian’. Paul assumes that the Philippian believers
accept the teachings of Scripture without question, and so he is happy to call
them “Saints in Christ Jesus”.
Paul also wrote this letter to:
1) Thank the church for their
participation in the Gospel.
2) Tell them about his personal
circumstances, fears and hopes.
3) Encourage them to stay united,
humble and consistent.
4) Explain why he was sending
Timothy to them.
5) Warn against the Judaizers,
antinomians and perfectionists.
6) Ask that Euodias and Syntyche be
reconciled.
7) Encourage them to keep praying,
rejoicing, and obeying God’s word.
8) Thank them for their generous
financial assistance.
This epistle was not written simply
to rebuke doctrinal conflicts in the church, for its tone is one love, affection
and thanksgiving. It focuses upon the Lord Jesus Christ and how He empowers
believers to live a holy and dedicated lives (4:15). Nothing in this life can
surpass the value of knowing Christ as Saviour, thus the letter is highly
Christocentric and reflects the author’s relationship with the Lord. It also
contains one of most profound Christological statements to be found anywhere in
Scripture (2:5-11). The Epistle to the Philippians is a very personal and
therefore a highly practical letter.
It is difficult to highlight a
single key verse in the epistle, for there is no many to choose from, but
probably the verse that is central to Paul’s theology and thinking is found in
1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Second to
this must come his thoughts on Christian joy. This is remarkable when we
consider that Paul was suffering in a prison cell. His relationship with Christ
was not dark and morose, but instead it was firmly grounded in joy. “Rejoice
in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). He might
not have been in a happy situation, but he had joy in his heart because he knew
that Christ was his Saviour.
Conclusion
