"God Will Supply Every Need" -- Philippians 4:10-23

The Ninth and Final in a Series of Sermons on Philippians

Paul’s letter to the Philippians comes to an end with Paul reminding his brothers and sisters of one of the great promises given by God to his people.  “God will supply every need.”  This is an important reminder to a congregation facing persecution from those outside the church who cannot possibly understand why someone would give up Roman religion to worship a Palestinian Jews, who claimed to have risen from the dead.  The Philippians were also facing doctrinal woes from a group of Judaizers who had arrived in Philippi and were teaching that faith in Jesus was not enough to be justified.  One had to submit to circumcision and embrace Jewish culture and customs in addition to trusting in Christ.  Paul has exhorted the Philippians to stand firm in the face of this opposition as well to rejoice always even while in the midst of difficult times.  At the end of this epistle, Paul speaks of the secret as to how the Philippians can accomplish these things–they are to realize that through their union with the Risen Jesus who strengthens them, they can indeed accomplish all things and stand firm and even rejoice in the face of anti-Christian opposition to the cause of Jesus and his ever-advancing kingdom.

As we wrap up our series on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi we come to what one commentator has called “Paul’s thank you note,” sent to those who have supported the apostle during his difficult days in Rome.  The help coming from the Philippians was no doubt greatly appreciated by Paul who was instrumental in the founding of the Philippian church a decade or so earlier.  It may even be the case that Paul was so grateful for the Philippian’s support that he could not pen just a few words of thanks and appreciation, but felt compelled by both his friendship toward the Philippians, as well as by the necessity of his calling as an apostle to encourage the churches, that Paul’s brief note of thanks became the four chapter epistle we now know as Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians.  

So far, Paul has given us a series of indicatives (centering on God’s gracious work in Jesus as applied to the Philippian believers) followed by a number of imperatives (especially the exhortations to stand firm and to rejoice in all circumstances).  But in the final section of chapter 4 (vv. 10-23, our text for this sermon), Paul finally gets to his main reason for writing this epistle.  Paul thanks the Philippians for their generosity in sending him a gift upon learning of his imprisonment in Rome.  From what we can tell, the Philippians learned that Paul’s appeal to Caesar had taken him all the way to Rome, where the apostle was now under house arrest.  This unspecified gift to Paul was brought to him by Ephahroditus, who may have been a pastor or an elder in the Philippian church.  Upon his arrival in Rome, Ephahroditus fell ill, and now that he has recovered, Paul composes this note of thanks (with a long letter of introduction) which is contained in the concluding section of this letter.

In many ways this closing section reflects Paul’s earlier thanksgiving in chapter 1:3-11, especially his comments, in verses 3-6.  “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. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  The concluding section of the epistle effectively wraps up with another demonstration of Paul’s affection toward the Philippians as the apostle expresses his thanks to God for allowing his friends in Philippi to support him with such a generous gift–a gift which comes at a time when Paul was himself encouraged by their concern for him.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"Rejoice in the Lord, Always" -- Philippians 4:2-9

The Eighth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Many have identified the main theme of Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi as the often-repeated exhortation from the Apostle to “rejoice.”  This is borne out by the fact that the words for “rejoice” and “joy” occur a dozen times in Paul’s brief Philippian letter.  Paul is writing to a church (in Philippi) which he helped to found, and which is now enduring a difficult season of persecution from without (Greco-Roman pagans) and from within (a group of newly arrived Judaizers).  Paul’s ultimate intention is to encourage the Philippians to do those things necessary to stand firm in the face of this opposition–among other things, they are to have the same humble attitude as Jesus did, they are to strive to love one another, and they are to be of one mind and one accord.  But why would Paul repeatedly exhort the Philippians to rejoice when times of difficulty have come upon them?  What does Paul mean by “rejoicing,” and how are we to rejoice in time of trial?  It is important to consider this carefully, because most of us can recount times when well-meaning Christians have told us and others “to rejoice” during times of suffering and loss.  Far too often someone telling us to rejoice when life has turned sour can easily take on a tone of smugness or triteness, which, of course, is far from what Paul actually means.  

We have come to that point in our series on Philippians when it is time to address the manner of how we ought to read the so-called “practical sections” of Paul’s letters.  This will be a refresher course for many of you.  This will help to understand why Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians (and to all Christians) to rejoice in the midst of our trials and difficulties should make perfect sense to a Christian who understands the distinction between the law and the gospel (or the indicative and the imperative moods).  This distinction is so important to get right (and so difficult to do at first ) that Martin Luther once quipped that anyone who mastered these distinctions should be immediately awarded their doctoral cap and gown.  This is one the most fundamental distinctions in all of Christian theology.  Philippians 4:2-9 (our text) which includes Paul’s final and repeated exhortation for Christians to “rejoice” provides a good test case to illustrate this distinction.  

The law of God (the Ten Commandments) requires us to do certain things–the law says “do.”  When we fail to do these things, or do the opposite of what is commanded by God, we sin and are therefore guilty before God.  The gospel, on the other hand, announces to us the good news that God freely gives to us in the person of Jesus, all the things he demands of us under the law.  If the essence of the law is “do,” the essence of the gospel is “done.”  In Jesus and his saving merits, all that God commands us to do has already been done by Jesus, for us, and in our place.  Through faith, his obedience becomes ours.

The imperative and indicative moods are closely related to the law and gospel.  Imperatives are commands–“do this.”  We find them throughout the Bible, and in Paul’s letters they tend to come in the second half–the so-called practical sections of his epistles.  Paul has given the Philippians a number of exhortations (imperatives) throughout this letter to do certain things in order to stand firm in the face of persecution.  A statement made in the indicative mood is simply a statement of fact and is not a call to do something, but to accept something as true, as for example, God has provided all that is necessary for you to be delivered from his wrath in the person of his son, Jesus.  The law corresponds with the imperative mood (a command), while the gospel corresponds with the indicative mood (a statement of fact).  

You cannot more fundamentally misunderstand Paul’s exhortations such as this one to rejoice (which usually come in the last portion of his letters) than by attempting to understand and act upon the imperatives apart from a prior understanding of the indicatives from which they arise.  To read Paul’s exhortations (so as to be practical and relevant, and to avoid the hard work of thinking through the doctrinal sections) apart from the prior gospel indicatives (Paul’s description of all those things God has done for us in Christ) is to command us to do things which we cannot do.  The law (the imperative) brings us further frustration and condemnation.  The exhortation for a suffering Christian to “rejoice” without reference to, or a proper understanding of the gospel, is not a word of encouragement, but can be downright cruel.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"Our Citizenship Is In Heaven" -- Philippians 3:12-4:1

The Seventh in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Whatever we say about Paul and the importance of his doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, we must not overlook the fact that Paul is an eschatological thinker–his focus is always on the time of the end regardless of whatever real life issues he must deal with in his letters.  Even while Paul remains under house arrest in Rome awaiting the outcome of his trial before Caesar (Nero), Paul desires to know better the resurrection power of Jesus through which he will attain to the resurrection of his body at the end of the age.  Even as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution from without (Greco-Roman pagans) and from within (the Judaizers who had recently arrived in Philippi and were beginning to torment the church), Paul repeatedly tells the Philippians to do the things necessary to stand firm.  They are to be of one mind, one accord, and love one another, in light of the day of Christ Jesus (our Lord’s second advent).  While the theme of the entire Philippian letter can be summed up in one word, “rejoice,” Paul’s own joy in the midst of suffering is thoroughly grounded in his knowledge that Jesus directs all of human history to his appointed end (eschatology).  Whatever comes to pass serves to bring us closer to the day of “Christ Jesus.”  Yet, there is much to do until that day comes.  This requires that the Philippians stand firm in the face of persecution and as far as humanly possible put into practice those things which Paul has exhorted them to do, and all the while keep their eyes fixed on the finish line.

We are returning to our series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and we have made our way as far as the second half of the third chapter (vv. 3:12-4:1).  As we saw last time, Paul warned the Philippians about  the presence of Judaizers in their congregation (3:2), identifying these men as enemies of the gospel.  Paul uses very strong language in this regard.  He calls these false teachers dogs, evil-doers, and mutilators of the flesh–men who boast about their own personal righteousness all the while speaking despairingly of those Gentile Christians who dare reject their heretical teaching.  

While we might be a bit dismayed that Paul would use such harsh language of others, Paul has skillfully demonstrated that it is the Judaizers who deserve the same derogatory names which they had been using of their opponents.  The Judaizers claim to be righteous through their good works, specifically circumcision, but they must realize that the very same Apostle Paul, whom they seem to despise, can put them all to shame when comes to claiming human merit before God.  If any circumcised Jew with a zeal to obey the law of God had grounds to boast, it was Paul.  Paul was a true Hebrew of Hebrews, a well trained Pharisee.  But after Jesus appeared to him while Paul was on his way to hunt down and arrest Christians in Damascus, Paul came to see that his own personal righteousness (which he describes as “blameless”) was really only so much “rubbish.”  Paul’s reflection upon being “found in him” (Jesus) and possessing a righteous not his own, which instead comes from God, and which justifies, requires a bit of qualification so as to make sure his words cannot be distorted by the Judaizers.  This was an ever-present threat as Paul knows all too well.

Once Paul has revealed his heartfelt desire to know Christ’s resurrection power and attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11), he must now clarify that this is something for which he longs–this is not something he’s already attained through his own accomplishments, even those things he has accomplished in his office as apostle.  The Judaizers may boast about their attainment of perfection in the flesh, but Paul will not even consider boasting about such things–even though he could.  Of course, there is the sense, as the author to the Book of Hebrews makes plain, that believers in Jesus are presently reckoned as perfect, as when he says in Hebrews 10:14, “for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”  In one sense our salvation is a settled matter and God regards us as perfected when we first believe in Jesus and are united to him, even as we begin the lifetime process of being sanctified as the sinful nature is progressively weakened.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

"Found in Him" -- Philippians 3:1-11

The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

One writer says that “chapter 3 of Philippians is without dispute a singularly powerful passage–a foundational building block for theology and a true classic of Christian spirituality.”  Well said and quite true.  After exhorting the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution coming from those outside the church (Greco-Roman pagans) Paul warns the Philippians in no uncertain terms about those attempting the disrupt the church from within.  Known as Judaizers–because of their insistence that Gentile converts must live as Jews after undergoing circumcision in order to be justified–Paul first encountered them in Galatia, but now Judaizing missionaries have made their way from Asia Minor into Greece, causing havoc in the church in Philippi.  In the process of warning the Philippians about the destructive ways of the Judaizers, Paul gives us a glimpse into his life before his conversion.  This is one of the few places where we gain genuine insight into Paul’s thinking as an up and coming Rabbi, who was extremely zealous to see Christianity wiped out before it could really begin.  Paul speaks of finding a justifying righteousness not his own (that of Jesus) which comes through faith, as well as how he longs to know firsthand the glories of the resurrection power of Jesus since Paul has been privileged to suffer for the sake of his Lord.  This is an important and a remarkable section of Paul’s Philippian letter, and truly one of the high points in all the canonical writings of Paul.

We are continuing our series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians and we come to chapter 3.  The transition from Paul’s lengthy exhortation (which began back in verse 27 of chapter 1 and continued on to verse 18 of chapter 2), to the Apostle recounting certain details of his life (in verses 4-6 of chapter 3) is not as abrupt as it may first seem.  Upon concluding his exhortation for the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution (2:18), Paul expresses his desire to send Timothy to Philippi to bring them a word of encouragement (vv. 19-30).  Since Paul was presently under house arrest in Rome awaiting his appearance before Caesar, Paul needs Timothy to remain with him until the settling of his appeal.  Since Paul or Timothy are unable travel to Philippi, Paul will send Epaphroditus (he, of course, is the minister sent by the Philippians to Paul upon learning of Paul’s imprisonment in Rome).

Until Paul can make his way there, the Philippians are to live in a manner consistent with the gospel which he first preached to them, and which the Philippians had obeyed (to use Paul’s term).  The Philippians were also to follow the example set by Jesus, who, in his incarnation, humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, not using his divine attributes to gain advantage.  In striving to be of one accord, loving one another, and being one in mind, the Philippian Christians are to cease grumbling and complaining, and live as children of God ought to live, blameless and innocent, in the face of the crooked and twisted generation in which they found themselves.  The expression “crooked and twisted”, as we saw, is an expression taken from the Old Testament and used in reference to unbelieving Israel while God’s disobedient people were wandering for forty years in the Sinai wilderness.  It was now (ironically) applied by Paul to both the Greco-Roman pagans and the Judaizers then troubling the Christians in Philippi.  But in a real sense, all generations following (including ours) are twisted and crooked.  

So, when we read in the opening words of chapter 3 of Paul’s stern warning to watch out for the Judaizers, those “evil-doers” who mutilate the flesh, the Apostle is not so much beginning a new thought, as he is explaining why the lengthy exhortation he had just given was so important to heed.  The Judaizers are a serious foe, they are destructive to Christ’s church, and they are not to be taken lightly.  Paul grants them no quarter.  He anathematized them in his epistle to the Galatians and warns of their tendency to boast about the number of coverts they had been winning.  When the Judaizers show up in a church founded by Paul, it is as though a claxon on a warship sounds “battle stations.”

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

"It Is God Who Works in You" -- Philippians 2:12-30

The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

As Paul sees it, the Philippians are in a very difficult situation.  There is tremendous pressure from the Greek and Roman citizens of Philippi for Christians to renounce their faith in Jesus and return to the Roman religion of their friends and neighbors.  It was a dangerous thing, the Romans thought, not to honor the gods.  Those who renounced the traditional Roman gods and now followed Jesus might even anger the gods to the point that calamity would come upon the empire.  Christians must be identified, and pressured to renounce this new and foreign God, Jesus.  Then there was the pressure coming from those who professed faith in Jesus, but added good works as a condition for being saved from the wrath of God on the last day.  These men were known as Judaizers and fully convinced that in addition to believing that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, one must undergo ritual circumcision, keep the Jewish feasts, and follow the Jewish dietary laws and customs.  The Philippian Church has withstood this pressure so far, but Paul exhorts them to stand firm until he or his emissary Timothy can arrive to offer them encouragement.

We are continuing our series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  We are working our way through the second half of the second chapter.  As I mentioned last time, the system of chapter and verses is useful to help us find a particular passage in the Bible, but not so helpful when the chapter breaks disrupt the flow of an author’s thought.  This is the case in Philippians chapters 1-2, when, at the end of chapter one (vv. 27-30) Paul exhorts the Philippians to stand firm–an exhortation continuing on well into the second chapter where Paul appeals to the “Hymn to Christ” (the Carmen Christi) of verse 6-11 where Jesus’ humility is set forth as an example for his readers to follow.  As we saw last time, the Christ hymn was composed by Paul or someone else, and was likely sung in the apostolic churches.  Paul appeals to it, because the Philippians were probably familiar with it.  

But Paul’s exhortation actually continues until verse 18 of chapter 2.  The theme of this lengthy exhortation is best summed-up by verse 27 (of chapter 1), “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that . . . I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”  Recall that Paul was instrumental in the founding of the church at Philippi when he proclaimed the gospel of Christ crucified there ten years earlier.  Yet, he now finds himself under house arrest in Rome when composing this very personal letter to a church far way in Greece, many members of which Paul knows quite well.  

One of the key points made by Paul is that in order for the Philippians to stand firm and accomplish the things which the Apostle is admonishing them, the Philippians must adopt the same attitude (mind-set) which Jesus did in his incarnation.  In the Carmen Christi, we read that Jesus “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Though existing eternally in the form of God, Jesus did not use his deity to his advantage after he took to himself a true human nature in the womb of the virgin.  Rather, Jesus humbled himself by taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death so as to accomplish those things necessary for our salvation.  Although the Philippians are to follow the example of Jesus, our Lord’s incarnation is a unique event and cannot be repeated.  Nevertheless, the Philippians are to have the same humble attitude of Jesus, if they are to stand firm in the face of persecution which they were then facing from the Greco-Roman pagans without the church, and from the Judaizers within. 

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"The Name Above Every Name" -- Philippians 2:1-11

The Fourth in a Series of Sermons on the Philippians

One of the most famous and well-known passages in all the Bible is the famous hymn to Christ (the Carmen Christi) of verses 6-11 of Philippians 2.  Martin Luther writes in his famous essay The Freedom of the Christian, that this passage is a prescribed rule of life which is set forth by the Apostle Paul, who exhorts us to devote our good works to the welfare of our neighbor out of the abundant riches of faith.  John Calvin tells us that anyone who reads this passage but fails to see the deity of Jesus and the majesty of God as seen in his saving works, is blind to the things of God.  The passage contains a very rich Christology, but is included in this letter not to settle any debate over the person and work of Jesus, but rather, to instruct Christians how to imitate Jesus in a profound and significant way.  The Carmen Christi also speaks directly to modern Americans by reminding us that the self-centered narcism of American culture is not a virtue, but runs completely contrary to the example set for us to follow by Jesus in his incarnation.

As we continue our series on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi (the Epistle to the Philippians) we come to the second chapter and will work our way through this beautiful and powerful passage.  I need to say from the outset that as many of you know, our system of chapters and verses are not in the original biblical text and were first introduced in the 16th century.  While they are very helpful in allowing us to find “chapter and verse,” there are times when the chapter breaks seriously disrupt the flow of thought of the original author–they do so in the transition from the opening chapter of Philippians as we move into chapter two.  As we go through our passage, we will see that Paul’s exhortation which opens the second chapter is really an expansion of his desire for the Philippians to stand firm (vv. 12-30) and is the basis for his introduction of the Christ hymn (which we will cover momentarily).

In expressing his candid thoughts to the Philippians, the apostle is reflecting upon the persecution which he himself had faced, particularly in the light of the news which just reached him from Philippi that the Philippians were still facing significant persecution.  When Paul was first in the city of Philippi, he was arrested and thrown into jail.  Paul was miraculously delivered, the jailer and his household came to faith in Jesus, and as recounted in Acts 17, shortly thereafter, Paul left the city to continue his missionary journey to the Greek cities of Thessalonica and Berea, before finally making his way to Athens.  When Paul writes this letter to the Philippians about ten years later, he is in jail again–this time under house arrest in Rome.  Paul knew something about persecution.  He knows that the Philippian Christians are facing persecution also.  The Philippians may not be not in chains, but they are finding that their fellow Greco-Romans are not accepting, nor tolerant of their faith in Jesus.  And then there are the Judaizers who have arrived on the scene and are now disrupting church life in Philippi.

After reflecting upon these things, in the concluding verses of chapter 1, (vv 27–30) Paul exhorts the Philippians, “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.  This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”  The Philippians are to do several things.  The first is to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel which Paul had preached to them.  Their conduct in the face of persecution should grow out of their understanding of the person and work of Jesus.  The second thing they are to do is to stand firm in one spirit and in one mind in the face of those persecuting them.  The third is not to be frightened by anything their opponents–the Judaizers and Greco-Roman pagans–may throw at them.  Jesus is more powerful than all and he will protect his church.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

"To Live is Christ" -- Philippians 1:12-30

The Third in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Paul is confined to house arrest in Rome.  But the Apostle has one-overarching desire–that Jesus Christ be proclaimed to everyone.  Paul’s desire to see this happen stems from two important factors.  The first is Paul’s dramatic conversion on the Damascus Road (as recounted in Acts 9).  Paul had been instantaneously transformed from an arch-persecutor of Christ’s church to a shepherd of Christ’s flock.  Paul was called to serve that one whom he had been persecuting, when the Risen Jesus appeared to Paul and called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles–including those in Philippi.  The second factor is Paul’s understanding of his office as apostle, and the concern that his ability to preach that gospel will be hampered by his imprisonment.  The Philippians too are concerned about Paul’s imprisonment, not only for the Apostle’s personal circumstances, but for the on-going success of the gospel mission.  Paul will assure them that even house arrest in Rome will not stop him and others from preaching the gospel.  Whether Paul lives or dies, Jesus Christ will be preached and the gospel will progress.

Paul has already undertaken three missionary journeys and fully trusts in the power of Jesus, so that even though confined to house arrest, Paul still preaches Christ crucified to those with whom he comes into contact while in Rome–whether that be people who visit him, others likewise confined, members of the Praetorian Guard, or even members of Caesar’s own household.  The proclamation of the gospel is not limited to Paul–God has called others to preach it as well.  Although human sinfulness and pettyness threatens to get in the way, Paul tells the Philippians that he is not concerned with the question of why people preach Christ crucified (their motives), only that they do so.  Since this is the case–the gospel is being preached throughout the empire by preachers for all sorts of reasons–Paul can rejoice in the midst of his imprisonment because Christ is still being preached in both Rome and in Philippi.  The Apostle might be hampered by his ordeal, but Jesus’ power is most evident in times of human weakness.

We are continuing our series on Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  We are now in the second half of the opening chapter (vv. 12-30).  We have seen in prior sermons that Paul is writing while under house arrest in Rome to a congregation of Gentile Christians in Philippi, a church which Paul was privileged to help found some ten years or so earlier.  He began his letter to the Philippians with the traditional salutation and thanksgiving, but Paul also includes a heart-felt prayer for the Philippians (vv. 3-11), petitioning the Lord to grant the Philippians abounding love for each other, a love which will be grounded in knowledge and discernment (v. 9).  Paul also prays that the Philippians may approve of what is excellent so that they may be pure and blameless on the day of the Jesus Christ (his second advent).  Paul sees all of these things not as a product of human attainment, but as the fruit of that righteousness which comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  Knowing that God has already begun his good work of new creation in them, Paul is confident that Jesus will see that good work through to that day when he returns to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new.

So when we pick up with our text in verse 12, Paul is in mid-thought, so to speak.  After praying for the Philippians, he begins to address a number of concerns the Philippians expressed to him through Epaphroditus, one of their own number sent from Philippi to offer Paul encouragement and support.  In verse 12, Paul informs the Philippians that “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”  The Philippians are understandably concerned about Paul and the outcome of his appeal to Caesar.  The Philippians fear that the worst might happen–that Paul will put to death while in Rome, and the progress of the gospel will come to a halt.  But far from impeding the progress of the gospel, Paul’s imprisonment advanced the cause of Jesus Christ.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"At the Day of Jesus Christ" -- Philippians 1:1-11

The Second in a Series of Sermons on Philippians

The Apostle Paul is in prison.  He’s facing a possible death sentence.  He is writing to a church which he helped to found a decade earlier, offering them words of encouragement while also exhorting them to regard themselves as citizens of heaven.  Despite the difficulties Paul is facing while imprisoned, even the casual reader of Philippians cannot help but notice the constant refrain of joy throughout this letter–in fact, Paul uses the word for joy as a noun or a verb sixteen times in the epistles’s four chapters.  The Philippian Christians reading this letter are enduring well despite the persecution they are facing.  One of their number–a man named Epaphroditus (who perhaps a pastor or an elder)–has learned of Paul’s imprisonment, and has come with an offer of help for Paul from the Philippians, who regard Paul as their father in the faith.  This reflects their sincere desire to help the Apostle.  Paul hopes to send Timothy to Philippi to encourage them, but in the meantime he composes this short letter encouraging the members of this church to progress in joy and in the faith, and he sends it back with Epaphroditus.  Philippians is truly a wonderful letter, and I am sure our time spent studying it will be a blessing to us all.

Whenever we begin a new series on a book of the Bible, it is important to know who wrote the particular document, when it was written, and under what historical circumstances.  Such information is vital so that we understand the context in which the book was written, and so that we interpret the book correctly.  This is also a great aid in preventing the all-too common tendency among American Christians to turn every book in the Bible into “my story,” and focus on tips for Christian living or timeless truths or principles for success, rather than understand that as we go through the various books of the Bible (tied to real history), God is including us in that redemptive-history.  He is actually rewriting our own self-understanding by including us in the on-going story of how it is that God redeems sinful people–like the Philippians and like us.  For this to happen, we need to know and understand the context of these books.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of the few books of the Bible virtually unchallenged by critical scholars.  It is accepted by most everyone that this letter was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi founded about AD 50.  The letter to the Philippians was composed by Paul between the mid-fifties of the first century, and perhaps as late as 60-62 AD.  The only debate among scholars is what were Paul’s exact circumstances when this letter was written.  We do know that when Paul writes this letter, he is a prisoner–he mentions this fact three times in the first chapter alone (1:7, 13, 17).  

Paul does not say where he is imprisoned, and those who argue for an earlier date for the composition of this letter contend that Paul’s imprisonment is in the city of Ephesus or even Caesarea.  But Paul’s Roman imprisonment is much more likely given his reference to the Praetorium in verse 13 of the opening chapter (the Praetorium is the “imperial guard” in Rome).  We know from the closing chapters of the Book of Acts that while appealing his arrest to Caesar (Acts 28; 16, 30-31), Paul lived in a rented house in Rome, Timothy was present with him (1:1; 2:19-23), and that a Roman soldier was assigned to guard him while Paul remained under house arrest.  A Roman imprisonment also fits with Paul’s directive in Philippians 4:22 to extend greetings from Christians in Caesar’s household to their Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi.  A date of 60-62 is most likely, about 10-12 years after Paul had first preached the gospel in Philippi and founded a church as we discussed last time when we considered Acts 16 and the gospel’s arrival on the European mainland.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

"From There to Philippi" -- Acts 16:1-18

The First in a Series of Sermons on Philippians

We are beginning a new series on two of Paul’s letters, Philippians and then Colossians.  Some of you may be asking, “why begin a series on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi by starting in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Acts?”  I am doing so because the entire sixteenth chapter of the Book of Acts is devoted to the establishment of the first Christian churches on the European continent, including the founding of a church in the Roman city of Philippi, named for Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great.  Acts 16 contains the record of Paul’s second missionary journey about 50 AD.  Since Luke (the author of Acts) give us such a detailed account of Paul’s bold preaching of the gospel which led to a church being founded in Phillipi, this passage serves as a good place to start our series, so that we know something about the church to which Paul sends his Philippian letter a dozen or so years later, in 62 AD, while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome.
 
In verses 6-10 of Acts 16, Luke recounts the so-called “Macedonian call.”  Paul has a vision of a man urging him come and preach the gospel in Macedonia (a region in Greece).  In the 16th chapter of Acts we also find the account of the conversion of Lydia (vv. 11-15)–possibly the first convert to Christianity on the European mainland–followed by Paul’s encounter with a demon-possessed girl, which led to Paul’s arrest (vv. 16-24).  And then there is the wonderful account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer (vv. 25-34).  All of these events are behind the formation of a church in Philippi to which Paul writes his letter some years after first visiting the area and preaching the gospel.  So, before we take up the text of Paul’s Philippian letter next week, we will begin with a survey of Acts 16, and Luke’s account of the initial spread of the gospel into Europe.

In the 16th chapter, Luke describes events which transpired while Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke were together in the city of Philippi.  The background to Paul’s arrival in the city is the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15, when the Apostles and elders of the church gathered to settle the question of Gentile salvation.  After the council had concluded, Paul and Silas made a pastoral visit to those churches which were founded during Paul’s previous journey to Galatia (in what is now central Turkey).  These churches faced the threat of Judaizers–those who were teaching that in addition to believing that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, one must also be circumcised, and even embrace elements of Jewish religion–keep the Jewish feasts, eat a kosher diet, etc.  Silas was one of those commissioned by the churches to take the Jerusalem Council’s decree to the newly founded churches in Galatia plagued by this false teaching (Acts 15:22).  

Prevented by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia Minor and Bythinia (Acts 16:6), Paul, Silas and two others newly added to the group, Timothy and Luke, crossed the Aegean Sea.  In response to the vision given him (the “Macedonian call”), Paul began to preach the gospel in Macedonia on the European mainland.  The reason why the Spirit prevented Paul and the others from going back to Asia Minor now becomes clear–God had other plans for Paul, namely taking the gospel to the very heart of Gentiles lands in Europe.  We read in verses 11-12.  “So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.  We remained in this city some days.”  

Phillipi was the site of a fierce battle in 42 BC when Mark Anthony and Octavian defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassisus, Julius Caesar’s assassins.  When Octavian and Mark Anthony subsequently fought one other in 31 BC (the battle of Actium), Octavian ordered that the city become a colony for Antony’s disbanded army.  This is why Phillipi is a Roman city (non-Greek) with little if any Jewish population.  The city was located on the Via Egnatia, an important Roman road running from Italy to Asia Minor.  Phillipi was a very important place for a Christian church.  As we read in our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 49, the messianic prophecy regarding YHWH’s servant, indwelt by the Spirit, who will be proclaimed to the nations begins to unfold in the light (truth), righteousness, and justice proclaimed to the Greeks and Romans by the Apostle Paul.

To read the rest of this sermon:  From There to Philippi

"God Shall Supply All Your Needs" -- Philippians 4:10-23

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon--the last in our series on Philippians

Click Here