Isaiah 57:14-59:21;
Philippians 1:1-26; Psalm 71:1-24; Proverbs 24:9-10
Rush, rush, rush! Goodbye Ephesians, hello Philippians.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Philippians, it’s just that I was so enjoying
Ephesians! At least I can take comfort in the slow forward progress of Isaiah.
Okay, ranting aside, it’s exciting today that we’re starting
Philippians. When I was in middle school, my church small group memorized this
book together. It was great, especially so because of how much I’m still
able to remember. What they say really is true – it’s easier to memorize when
we’re younger and it sticks with us longer! (Though I memorized it in the NIV
and nowadays I read the ESV, so I’m always a little off my game.) Anyway, this
is probably my favorite epistle. So cheerful, so joyful, and so encouraging,
with none of the uncomfortable verses about someone sleeping with his stepmom
(see 1 Cor. 5:1).
As usual, I’d like to give a little background so we can be
well-informed as we read.
Most scholars agree that Paul wrote this letter during his
Roman imprisonment (around AD 62), as we discussed with Ephesians, but it is
also possible that he wrote it while still imprisoned in Ephesus (around AD
53). Either way, the purpose behind his writing remains the same – to thank the
Philippians for a generous gift, to warn them against theological error, and to
encourage them to strive for unity.
Some of the key themes in the book are:
- The fact that the gospel is spreading and how that should give us joy even when we’re suffering.
- Christian unity, achieved by following the selfless example of Christ.
- That a right standing with God is available by faith in Christ alone.
- Mature faith as working faith.
Philippi was a leading city in its region (now northern
Greece) and had become a settling place for retired soldiers. So by the time of
Paul’s writing, Philippi had a very Roman feel. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke
brought the gospel to Philippi, though it hadn’t been Paul’s original idea. Do
you remember from our reading in Acts 16 that Paul wanted to go to Bithynia,
but “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7) and instead they
went to Troas where Paul had a vision of the man from Macedonia who begged them
to come? (When the Romans conquered Macedonia in 167 BC, they divided it into
four districts, with Philippi being the leading city in the first district.)
So that’s how Paul came to minister in Philippi. It was in Philippi that Paul
cast the fortune-telling demon out of a local girl, thus angering her owners
and resulting in Paul's and Silas’ beating and imprisonment. On the surface,
Philippi seemed like hard soil, and certainly the fledgling church underwent
much persecution, but by the time of the letter's writing, the gospel had
flourished.
One of the things I love most about this letter is Paul’s
deep affection for this body of believers. Look at verse 3: “I thank my God in
ALL my remembrance of you, ALWAYS in EVERY prayer of mine for YOU ALL, making my
prayer with JOY, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day
until now” (Phil. 1:3-4). Paul cares about these people and prays for
them constantly.
I also love his prayer for them in verses 9-11. If you’re
feeling up to a challenge, think about memorizing that and praying it for your
friends, roommates, spouse, children, co-workers, parents, etc. Wouldn’t it be
amazing to see how God answers? Don’t forget to pray it for yourself! And we
will be praying it for you.
- Esther McCurry
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