Philiipians
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:1-2
We are going to spend the next few weeks in Philippians before we go there for our next Sermon Series.
Philippi was a Roman colony in north-eastern Greece. It was a melting pot of cultures each with their own diverse religious practices. This included Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and some Jews. This was the context into which Paul came, preaching the gospel sometimes around 50 A.D.
The first Christian convert was a woman named Lydia. But after this initial success, things started turning ugly. After casting out a demon from a servant girl who could apparently tell the future, her masters brought charges against Paul and labelled them trouble-makers. Paul and Silas ended up in prison and being beaten publicly.
But God was working all these things for His glory. In Acts 16 we learn of a miraculous salvation of their prison guard. These are the beginnings of God’s Church in Philippi which has presumably grown by the time Paul sends this letter to encourage them.
So, here we have this relatively new church (only a few years old) in a city where people aren’t too favourable to their belief. But as we will see, this bunch of beleaguered believers keep trusting in Jesus, to the glory of God, the joy of Paul and many others.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father who is working all things for His glory and our good in Christ. Give thanks for Jesus who is saving people from all nations. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep trusting Jesus today.
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:1-2
We are going to spend the next few weeks in Philippians before we go there for our next Sermon Series.
Philippi was a Roman colony in north-eastern Greece. It was a melting pot of cultures each with their own diverse religious practices. This included Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and some Jews. This was the context into which Paul came, preaching the gospel sometimes around 50 A.D.
The first Christian convert was a woman named Lydia. But after this initial success, things started turning ugly. After casting out a demon from a servant girl who could apparently tell the future, her masters brought charges against Paul and labelled them trouble-makers. Paul and Silas ended up in prison and being beaten publicly.
But God was working all these things for His glory. In Acts 16 we learn of a miraculous salvation of their prison guard. These are the beginnings of God’s Church in Philippi which has presumably grown by the time Paul sends this letter to encourage them.
So, here we have this relatively new church (only a few years old) in a city where people aren’t too favourable to their belief. But as we will see, this bunch of beleaguered believers keep trusting in Jesus, to the glory of God, the joy of Paul and many others.
For Today:
- Have you ever read Philippians?
- Why is it good to read through whole books of the Bible?
- Read as much of Philippians as you can in one sitting.
Pray: Praise the Father who is working all things for His glory and our good in Christ. Give thanks for Jesus who is saving people from all nations. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep trusting Jesus today.
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