Philippians Background And Greetings Series

Background and Greetings of Philippians

Philippians 1 :1-2

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

It was around the year AD 52 during Paul’s first visit to Europe that his journey to Philippi began. Though he and his travelling companions Timothy and Silas wanted to go north to Bithynia after having visited Asia Minor, the Spirit forbid them to do so (Acts 16:7) and forced them to go east to Troas. It is here that Paul had a vision of a Macedonia man “standing and begging him, come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). Paul and his companions “crossed to Neopolis and then journeyed about ten miles along the Egnatian Way to Philippi.” As was Paul’s custom he entered the town and sought out a Jewish synagogue but found none! He continued his search for believers and found “a few women gathering at prayer-place outside of town” by the River Gangites for worship. From these women, a dealer of purple cloth and her family, a Roman jailer and his family, and likely a slave girl, the church of Philippi was born. “Thirty years after the Ascension of Christ and about ten years after having first preaching the Gospel at Philippi,” Paul wrote to the church with great warmth and expressions of love what was undoubtably one of his favourite churches. While Paul being the author of the New Testament book of Philippians is rarely contested due to early Christian greats like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Hermas and Justin Martyr claiming Pauline authorship, it is unclear from which of the up to seven prisons (2 Corinthians 11:23) Paul wrote this letter. While Ephesus, Caesarea, and Corinth have been proposed by scholars it was likely facing death in a prison in Rome that Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi this personal, loving and warm letter of gratitude for those He called his “joy and crown.” While his words are joyful they are also “undercut with the sober realization” that the church gravely needed instruction on how to handle suffering and persecution from being a light amongst the pagan Roman culture, how to handle opponents whom Paul called “dogs,” “evil doers,” and “mutilators of the flesh” (3:2), and what to do about disunity from key leaders in the church (4:2). Above all this short but beautiful letter of Paul’s stresses his desire that the saints at Philippi fearlessly advance the Gospel message with joy that only comes from being in Christ Jesus our Lord! Let’s look a closer look at the town of Philippi so that we can better understand the geographical, political, historical, and religious background of the city in which this letter is addressed.

Historic Background – Philippi

Philippi got its name in 356 BC when Phillip II, king of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, fortified the city. More recently it was the location of the famous battle where Octavian and Mark Anthony defeated the rebel forces of Brutus and Cassius who assassinated Julius Caesar. While the “early inhabitants of Philippi were Greeks from the island of Thasos, Macedonians as well as some Thracians, people from Asia Minor, Egypt, and Israel” predominantly this small city of about 10,000 people was known for being the home of “discharged Romany army veterans.” Philippi was not only a Roman colony with all the privileges and rights that came with being designated “Ius Italicum” in which “the land, payment of taxes and the local administration of the law was as if one was on Italian soil, but it also was known as a “miniature of Rome” due to its “building structures and monuments being reminiscent of Rome,” language being Latin, and education, customs, and religions mimicking the imperial city. Overall many of its citizens prospered financially due to its exceptionally fertile soil, gold and silver mines and trade routes that had close ties to Rome. As “typical with many Roman colonies, however, there were several levels of social and economic levels” between citizens and non-citizens, and between those free and slaves. Like Rome, life in Philippi centered around emperor worship at its impressive altars and temples dedicated to him so much so that “refusal to participate in the imperial cult was viewed as subversive” and highly illegal. Also, one was expected to worship other Greek gods such as Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Mars, Dionysius who assured happiness after death, Diana who granted fertility, and many deities. Persecution of Philippian Christians was justified on the grounds that according to its resident’s belief in but one God was “advocating customs unlawful for Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:21). Despite fierce opposition the house churches grew, and it is to them that Paul takes pen to paper to address their many issues.

Reflection. Persecution of Christians was due to their belief in but one God! Is not our faith in the Gospel message, specifically Christ being the way, truth, and life, not becoming at best “watered down” by our culture and at worst the world’s justification to ostracize believers publicly by seeing them as bigots and narrow minded? How imperative it is for us today to read Paul’s letter of encouragement and remain steadfast in the faith in Christ who is Lord over all!