Part 2 – Phil. 1:1-6 By Samuel E. Ward December 2, 2012 PowerPoint Slides: http://www.slideshare.net/samward1/philippians-pt-2 Introduction I am intrigued by historical markers, especially of battlefields. To know that you are standing on or near a spot where a history-changing event took place can stir the emotions. One of the most powerful one of these feelings came when I was standing on the field where the battle of Gettysburg was fought. Casualties numbered over 51,000 between the Union and Confederate armies which began with the total number of men engaged in battle estimated at over 165,000. Roughly one in three participants would become victims. No battle in the Civil War produced more casualties. No cause in the history of America had caused such a division among its people than that to preserve the unity of the nation, emancipate slaves from bondage, and the issue of states' rights. Philippi was the location of one of the most important battles in history. In 42 B. C. Octavian (Augustus Caesar) with Marc Antony defeated Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, and his ally Cassius, to gain control of the Roman Empire. A later war between Octavian and Antony made Octavian the sole and absolute ruler of Rome. It was he who built Rome into the glorious empire it became. Octavian (more widely known as Augustus Caesar) was in power when Christ was born and had ordered the census that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethehem. Philippi was destroyed by an earthquake in 419 B. C., having fallen from its former glory by several invasions that eventually led to the fall of the Roman Empire. A. Philippi's Historical Significance 1. The earliest known dwellers of the area were settlers who migrated from the northern-most Aegean island of Thasos. They were drawn there to its abundance of fresh water from springs, thus its earliest name, Krenides, or "Springs." 2. Gold was discovered later in the area (Mount Pangeo) which brought an influx of people to mine it. It quickly became a "gold rush" town. The water and gold of the area drew raids from tribes to the north. Inhabitants of the area invited King Philip II of Macedon to help them against the invaders. This gave Philip access to the gold who increased its mining production. It is estimated that this brought the equivalent of 1.6 billion in 2012 dollars into his treasury. His son, Alexander the Great, inherited his father's kingdom and used the wealth to build an empire. 3. Alexander the Great renamed the town Philippi in honor of his father Philip II of Macedon around 358 B.C. Philip settled the area with Macedonians to guard the gold deposits. 4. Philippi came under Roman rule in 168 B. C. 5. The city becomes the site of one of the most significant battles in Roman history when Mark Antony and Octavius defeat Cassius and Brutus (assassins of Julius Caesar) in 42 B. C. 6. Octavius (later given the title "Augustus") defeated Antony, his former ally against Cassius and Brutus, and thereby rid himself of his only competitor for rule over all of the Roman Empire. 7. Octavius made Philippi a Roman colony and settled it with veteran soldiers from his army as well as transplanted any remaining supporters of Antony in Rome to Phillipi. 8. As a Roman colony, its citizens were granted several privileges: a. Libertas or self-government. b. Immunitas or freedom from paying tribute to the Emperor. c. Jus Italicum or the rights of those who lived in Italy. These included the right to own property, an exemption from taxes, the right to appeal to the emperor, exemption from flogging, to name a few.[1] It is the fact that the Philippians knew well the privileges enjoyed by Roman citizens that explains their distress when they discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen and they had illegally subjected him to a flogging. 9. Philippi became a beautiful city (at one timed called "Little Rome") whose significance in part was due to its geographical location. It was only fifteen miles from a widely used port on the famed Egnatian Way at Neapolis situated on the shores of the Aegean Sea. From there the commercial traders and the military of Rome had a short-cut by ship to pass from Europe into Asia and the Middle East. The Roman roads also served Christianity. Although the early Christians often suffered tremendous persecution from the Romans, the Roman Roads permitted the apostles and many of God's people (particularly those who held Roman citizenship) to travel much more easily, while protected by patrolling Roman troops from detachments who were stationed along the way. It's actually quite ironic that the infrastructure of the empire that attempted to destroy Christianity also made possible its spread to the very farthest frontier regions of the then-known world.[2] B. Philippi's Christian Significance 1. First, the Philippian church is the first church to be planted in Europe. 2. Second, the church at Philippi is the only church suggested in the New Testament as a model for other churches. 3. Third, Philippians is an epistle that gives us an entirely different standard for giving and fund-raising. 4. Fourth, the Book of Philippians helps us to define biblical fellowship. 5. Fifth, Philippians is a book that helps us get a proper perspective on unjust suffering, persecution, and even death. [3] As Paul writes this letter from Rome during his first imprisonment, many memories are obviously flooding his mind. No doubt he would remember Lydia, the first person he led to Christ in Europe. Certainly the incident with a slave girl from which he cast out an evil spirit came to mind. Her owners who used her oracles to make them money. This led to Paul's and Silas' arrest and being placed in jail. How could he not remember the earthquake which brought about his and Silas' release from prison and the resulting faith in Christ of the jailer and his household. Surely he smiled as he saw in his mind's eye the fear of the city's magistrates when they discovered they had illegally flogged a Roman citizen. Paul had insisted that since they had been charged publicly, he would be satisfied with nothing less than a public release along with their apology. It is now ten years later and Paul is under house arrest in Rome. He has a lot of time to remember things. In the midst of these remembrances there are also prayers he offered up on their behalf. He certainly had reason for concern. The church is being threatened from within and without. Judaizers, whose main interest was the destruction of Christianity, considered followers of Christ to be cultish. Their strategies included either going ahead of Paul to preemptively build opposition to his teaching or to be present during his teaching to stir up people and communities against him. Sometimes the disruption of the Judaizers led to influencing city officials and the general populace to agree with the Judaizers that Christianity was an illegal religion without approval to practice from Rome. Because they preached Christ as the King of their kingdom, some saw this as a threat to the empire and would persecute Christians by ostracizing them from their society, confiscating their property, arresting and imprisoning them, and in extreme cases, executing them. From inside the church, Paul was concerned about the infiltration of false teachers whose purpose was to challenge the truth of the gospel and the person of Christ and offer a religion that catered to fleshly appetites. There appeared to be some dissension among even faithful believers, which grieved Paul. Two in particular were Euodias and Synteche, who threatened the unity of the church by their differences. Paul was compelled to write this letter to these people who meant so much to him for so many reasons. One might suppose from considering Paul's circumstances might have had little to be joyful about. And yet, he wrote this letter of joy to his dear friends at Philippi. And so he begins this . . . ODE TO JOY (Phil 1:1-2 NIV) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: {2} Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I. This Letter Is an Expression of Joy A. Paul's Joy Is the By-product of Thanksgiving for the Philippians, Phil 1:3. (Phil 1:3 NIV) I thank my God every time I remember you. B. Paul's Thanksgiving Brings Joy from Two Precious Realizations, Phil 1:4-6. 1. The Philippians have been his partners in the gospel since "day one," Phil 1:4-5. (Phil 1:4-5 NIV) In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy {5} because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, Ponder the level of appreciation expressed in in these words! a. "I always pray with joy for you." What a compliment! b. "You have been my partners in sharing the gospel from the first day." What a commitment! 2. God will complete His ongoing work in them until Jesus Christ comes back, Phil 1:6. (Phil 1:6 NIV) [I am] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Ponder the depth of confidence in the outcome of God's work in the Philippians. a. This is confidence that is beyond the "shadow of doubt" that has been fostered by the Philippians' own proven confidence in God. Their faith has been back up by their works. b. This is confidence in God's ability to finish what He starts in those who cooperate with Him. c. This is confidence in God's continuance until the all the work is done and Christ returns. Applications 1. As a church, we need to commit ourselves to be faithful partners with others in ministry—especially our missionaries. 2. We must give ourselves over to the work that God wants to do in us as a church. Only in this does God have reason to continue His work toward completing all of what He desires to do in and through us. His working within us is not automatic. Consider Christ's words to the church at Ephesus: (Rev 2:1-5 NIV) "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: {2} I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. {3} You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. {4} Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. {5} Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Learn These Lessons from the Ephesian Church: a. We cannot rest on the achievements of the past. Much of that work was done by others and we must take ownership of the present. b. We cannot rest on the victories of the past. There are still spiritual battles to be fought for the welfare of souls lost and saved. c. We must return to our first love, Jesus Christ, and let all other affections become take their proper place in submission to Christ's will. |
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Philippians: An Ode to Joy
