|
Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.
This month we continue our exploration of Paul’s letters with his correspondence to the Philippians. Though possibly comprised of various letter fragments, Philippians has been uniformly accepted as a genuine Pauline correspondence. It is one of his warmest letters, addressed to people he genuinely cared about. Unlike many of his other letters, which addressed specific problems within individual churches, Paul sent this one in gratitude to the Philippians for gifts they had sent to him via the hand of Epaphroditus. It is believed that Paul was writing from prison, and that the original plan was to have Epaphroditus remain with him, serving as his personal servant. But apparently he became ill (homesick) and Paul was sending him back to Philippi – letter in hand. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.
The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible Study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.
Philippians
The city of Philippi was named after Philip II, king of Macedonia, who founded the city in 356BCE. It was strategically located along the Egnatian Way, the road connecting Europe with Asia. Within a short time it was a Roman colony, which meant that its citizens enjoyed all the rights and privileges of those born and living in Rome. It was the custom of Rome to give retired army veterans land in tactical centers (generally along their extensive road system). There, they would establish Roman customs, speak the language, dress accordingly, and follow all the traditional Roman ceremonies. Fewer places would be more nationalistic than these established “colonies.”
Paul visited Philippi during his second missionary journey. He had planned to go to Bithynia, which would have been due north into the area of Galatia, but the Spirit of Jesus had prevented him from doing so. Instead he was told to go into Macedonia – the gateway to Europe; the date would have been approximately 50-52CE. Luke tells the story in Acts 16. Paul’s experiences in Philippi revolved around encounters with three different people: Paul’s random meeting with Lydia, a seller of purple goods; the demented slave girl that Paul healed (with disastrous consequences for him and Silas); and the Philippi jailor. After converting Lydia and baptizing her entire household, Paul exorcised a demon from the young slave girl. As a result of that event, Paul and Silas were dragged before the magistrates on charges of being “anti-Roman.” For this they were flogged and imprisoned. There was an earthquake during the night, but instead of fleeing, Paul and Silas sang hymns and converted their jailor and his entire family. Not only were they officially released the following morning, but they also received an apology from the Romans because of Paul’s Roman citizenship. They were told to leave town, but first they “went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them.”
These are the people to whom Paul will write his letter to the Philippians. It is not known how much time had passed since this visit, because scholars do not agree when or from where this letter was written. They don’t even agree as to the unity of the letter. Some think it is a compilation of two or three combined fragments. That, of course, determines everything else. For the sake of simplicity, we will not get into all the details of these arguments. What seems obvious is that Paul claims to be writing while “in bonds” or “in chains,” which means he’s in prison. Scholars think he was imprisoned in Ephesus during his second or third missionary journey (mid-fifties), or he could be writing from Rome in the early 60’s. He was also imprisoned in Caesarea from 57-59, but scholars do not think he wrote the letter from there. Most opt for the later date in Rome. Ultimately, however, this is speculation and no one knows with certainty.
What we do know is that the letter is authentically Pauline. He begins by giving thanks for them. They had been concerned about him and had sent him gifts, for which he was extremely grateful. He acknowledged receiving support from them even while he was in Thessalonica, which was quite unlike him. Usually he supported himself through tentmaking. So he clearly had a special relationship with these people. And they had a special relationship with him because they were one of the few churches from which he accepted gifts. Furthermore, it wasn’t because they were wealthy and could afford it; they gave out of their gratitude. He mentions several people (believers) by name. One was Epaphroditus, who had brought the gift and was supposed to stay to care for Paul while he was in prison. Epaphroditus had then fallen ill. But he had since recovered and would be rejoining the Philippians soon. This was actually the occasion for the letter. Paul’s primary concern in writing was to express his gratitude and to encourage this church to not turn away from the faith, but to continue in the way that they’d been going. He tells them their greatest challenges were still ahead. He obviously knew there would be some fallout from the fact that he was imprisoned, but he used his situation as a teaching tool for them. They, too, would bear hardships, and they, too, would prevail. And the Gospel would continue to spread.
By this time, there were forces at work within the church in considerable opposition to Paul’s work and he urged them not to fall for it, not to follow those errant teachers with their errant teachings. The key to the right direction could be found in the example of Christ, as well as in his and Timothy’s experiences, and in their own leaders. Apparently the issue here is that the other teachers were elevating the importance of personal achievement and status over against the humility of Christ. Paul cautions that he has more reason to boast than any of them, but he counts “all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” All he wants is to know Christ and the power of the resurrection. He acknowledges that he has not yet arrived at that point, but that he “presses toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The goal is not to stress personal achievement and self-glorification, but to live according to the pattern he had given them, the cross of Christ. He ends the letter with an appeal to two members who were quarreling – Euodia and Syntyche, imploring them to be of one mind. Then he broadens his appeal to all, addressing them as “brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (4:8-9)
All in all, Philippians is a warm letter, filled with thanksgiving for dangers passed, and harmony achieved. It is one of his most personal letters. There are no sharp rebukes against the church, no major problems threatening its existence. The warnings are general and expected for one who is concerned about the future of the church. He writes nothing to spoil their joyful spirit. [Those who believe there are fragments think 3:2-4:9 was written at an earlier time, given its more polemic character.] Scholars do not agree whether he ever visited Philippi again. They think his first visit to Philippi lasted about two months.
There are four obvious divisions in the letter to the Philippians: 1:1-3:1 – The Letter of Thanks; 3:2-4:9 – Fragment of a Polemical Letter; 4:10-20 – Letter of Thanks to Philippians for Their Gift; 4:21-23 -- Conclusion |
