The *Church at Philippi was the 1st Church Apostle Paul founded in Macedonia. Philippi was a military city – not a commercial center – and the people of Philippi were considered citizens of Rome, and given a number of special roman privileges. One of those special privileges was that a roman citizen could not be punished without a trial, as we read in Acts 16:37-40 when Paul claimed his roman citizenship and openly condemned the local magistrates during his ill-treatment at their hands. It was largely due this open rebuke by Apostle Paul that future punishments towards **Christians in Philippi were limited.
The best estimates of when this epistle was drafted and dispatched would be 55 A.D.; about five years after his first visit to Philippi, and the founding of a small member Church Body (Acts 16). According to this account, Paul’s first contact in Philippi was with a group of women gathered together for prayer on Shabbat. #Lydia, a textile merchant, was the first Philippian convert, and community leader: as highlighted in that recounting, a warm and mutual friendship developed. And by the time Apostle Paul had written his Philippian =Epistle, the Philippian Church Body had grown to a count of 30 – 50 people … small, but effective 😊
In Acts, we read about Lydia and other women who were the earliest movers in the Philippian congregation: this community of Early Believers had significant female leadership from the get-go … and says something significant about Apostle Paul’s understanding of {gender roles} in the Body of Christ.
The city of Philippi, located along the Mediterranean, is now part of present-day Greece and just south of Bulgaria – but in Paul’s day, it was an important roman colony in the region of ancient Macedonia, and the citizens there would have lived with the awareness of imperial power overshadowing every aspect of their lives. This Philippian letter from Paul makes a few references to the opposition and persecutions experienced by those early Believers, there.
The letter to the Philippians is about what it means to be citizens in the kingdom of ***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach: Paul encourages Believers to stand firm in their new identity in ****Christ over – and against – other allegiances and opponents who demand conformity to earthly kingdoms, dominions, and regions. The Believers primary allegiance is to Christ, and Him alone.
Philippians is referred to as the “Epistle of Joy”, and the words joy, rejoice, and gladness are liberally sprinkled throughout … even though Paul sits in chains, and the Philippian Church faces significant social and political opposition.
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Philippians ~ Chapter 1/Thursday Bible Study
Salutation
“From Paul and Timothy, servants of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, to all the Christians at Philippi, including the pastors and deacons. Grace be to you, and peace, from *****Elohim the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! (vvs. 1 – 2)
Paul’s Love for the Saints
I thank my God for all my memories of you. It is always a joy for me to pray for you because you have taken a full share in the ==Gospel work from the first day it came to you, until now. And I am sure of this, that He Who began a good work in you will keep on perfecting (improving = educating/cultivating, growing; refining = upgrading/advancing, moving forward; honing = preparing, training, coaching, teaching; sharpening = enhancing, boosting; put the finishing touch on) it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I think that it is right for me to feel that way about all of you, because I have you always in my heart and you have shared (combined, mutual, joint, communal) Elohim’s grace with me – both when I have been in chains, and also when I have been free to defend and vindicate (support, prove, uphold, clearly define) the Gospel. And Elohim knows how I yearn for you all with deep love of Christ Jesus Himself. (vvs. 3 – 8)
Paul’s Prayer for Them
My prayer for you is this, that your love may increase still more and that you may get a greater knowledge and a deeper understanding. Thus you will always be able to prize what is excellent, and to be pure and blameless till the day when Christ shall return. And your lives will be filled with the fruits of righteousness, all through Jesus Christ and all the glory and praise of Elohim. (vvs. 9 – 11)
The Spread of the Gospel Due to Paul’s Imprisonment
Brethren, I want you to know that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the Gospel. It has now become common knowledge throughout the ##emperor’s guard and elsewhere that I am in prison for the sake of Christ.
Besides, most of the brethren, on account of my imprisonment, have become more dependent on the Lord and have started to preach oftener and more boldly than ever before. (vvs. 12 – 14)
The Progress in Preaching
It seems that some of them are preaching because of envy (jealousy, greed, resentment) or partisanship (bias = favoritism, one-sidedness), but there are some, too, who preach Christ because of good will (grace = encouragement, cheer, boost, lift; helpfulness = value, benefit; care = maintenance of-; support/backing, assistance). These last-named do it out of love, for they know that I was poised (assured, confident, on the verge = approach) to defend the Gospel.
The first-named, on the other hand, are preaching Christ – not sincerely, but out of ill-will (animosity or bitterness) to me; that they thereby may add to my pain (discomfort, sorrow, mistreatment = oppression) in prison. What does it really matter? In one way or another … Christ is now being preached. From false motives, and from honest motives: I am, therefore glad that He is being made known; and I shall always be glad because of it. (vvs. 15 – 18)
The Prayers of Intercession
Because of your prayers of intercession (easing, assistance = help, support), and because of the bountiful (openhanded = generous) resources (means, supplies) from the ******Ruach HaKo’desh, I realize that all this will make for my own welfare (wellbeing, happiness, benefit). It is my earnest expectation and hope that I may never disgrace (shame, dishonor, tarnish = damage) myself, but that I shall now, as always hitherto, bravely stand up for Christ; and honor Him with my body, no matter whether that means to live for Him, or to die for Him; for to me … to live is Christ and to die is gain!
But if to keep on living here in this body means that my labor is bearing fruit, then I cannot decide which choice is the better. I am hard pressed (burdened with urgency) between the two. I have had the desire to leave this world and be with Christ, for obviously that would be far better. But for your sakes, it seems more important that I go on living among you. I am fully convinced of this, and therefore I feels sure that I will live a while longer and thus continue to help all of you advance in Christian living – as well as in the joy that comes from faith. So, when I come to you again you will have a chance to rejoice more than ever with me in Christ Jesus. (vvs. 19 – 26)
Unity Through Faithful Christian Living
No matter what happens, you must live lives worthy (well-intentioned, admirable, praiseworthy = credible) of the Gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come to you or do not come, may I hear about you that you stand firm – united in spirit, having one purpose, one faith – working together for the Gospel cause! Never for a moment let your foes (enemies; rivals = challengers; antagonists) frighten (alarm, upset, worry) you in any way. Your fearlessness (courage = daring, resolution/resolve; boldness = confidence/conviction; confidence = trust) will then be to them a sign of their own coming defeat (setback, loss) – as well as your salvation (recovery, liberation); and that all from Elohim Himself. Now, you have been granted (approved, given, awarded) the grace (favor, mercy, blessing, honor) not only to believe in Christ; but also to suffer for Him. You are to fight (match, campaign = task, duty, mission – carry out) the same fight in which you have seen me engaged (busy, take part), the same struggle (effort, labor = make a great effort) you hear I still have.” (vvs. 27 – 30)
*Church = Body of Believers: congregation of people gathering to honor Yeshua (Savior, Son of God = God), and worship Elohim (the Father = God).
**Christians = followers of Christ; Children of Almighty God.
#Lydia = a woman from Thyatira, was the first of Paul’s converts in Europe. Lydia – a woman of means and standing, lived and worked in Philippi; dealing in textiles colored with the purple dye for which the region was famous. Her wealth allowed her to live independently in a spacious house. She was also a religious seeker. She was among the gentile women who gathered outside Philippi on each Sabbath to pray to the God of the Jews. Lydia's attendance at the prayer gathering demonstrated her willingness to respond to as much about God as she knew. Acts 16, tells Lydia's story. Following her baptism, she opened her household to Paul, his co-workers, and the new Christian congregation. Lydia and her friends were the nucleus of the congregation at Philippi. Paul and his companions made Lydia’s house their headquarters before and after their stay in the Philippi jail. Acts 16: 14 & 40.
Thyatira (also Thyatira) (Ancient Greek: Θυάτειρα) was the name of an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor, now the modern Turkish city of Akhisar. During the Roman era, it was famous for its dyeing facilities and was a center of the purple cloth trade. Among the ancient ruins of the city, inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in the city.
=Epistle = (/ɪˈpɪsəl/; Greek: ἐπιστολή, epistolē, "letter") is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter: part of the scribal-school writing curriculum.
***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach: is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”; the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua.
****Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.
*****Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: ʾĚlōhīm: [(eloˈ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the at God of Israel.
==Gospel = teaching or revelation of Christ.
##Emporer’s Guard = an imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor. Usually, these troops represent a more privileged status than other imperial forces, including the regular armed forces; and maintain special rights, privileges and traditions.
******Ruach HaKo’desh: In Hebrew, the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש, Roo-ahk hah-Koh-desh) refers to the divine force, quality, and influence (aka, power) of God.
The Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16 & 11:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Titus 3:5; and Jude 1:20), is referred to more than 90 times in the Brit Chadashah.
**Ephesians 6: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/10/ephesians-chapter-6thursday-bible-study.html
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