The city of Philippi received its name from Philip of Macedon, the
father of Alexander the Great. It is a tender letter written to a church
with which Paul was very familiar.
Phil 1:14
Because
of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged
to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.If
we think of this verse in a worldly manner, what Paul is saying
doesn’t make sense. God allowed Paul’s suffering so that others may be
encouraged.
Phil 2:15-16a
so that you may
become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked
and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
as you hold out the word of life— We shine like stars in this
dirty world. We hold out to the world the word of abundant life here
and eternally. Remember yesterday’s blog entry about night light or
flood light?
Phil 3:10-11
I want to know
Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing
in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow,
to attain to the resurrection from the dead.That word attain
is loaded with meaning. Paul is saying here that he wishes to do
something more than to obtain a resurrection. He aspires to something
greater. Once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we automatically
obtain eternal life through resurrection. We obtain through belief.
Attain means to reach in excellence or degree; to equal. Paul wants to
equal Christ in suffering and death and so attain a better
resurrection. (see Hebrews 11)
When Paul is speaking of
perfection, he is saying he is “perfected” (fit) for the race. The
"be perfect” is to be ready to receive the prize.
Phil 3:13
Brothers,
I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I
do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,It makes no difference what has happened in the past, what really matters is what is ahead!
“…our citizenship is in heaven…”Once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our destiny is sealed, our citizenship is transferred to heaven.
Phil 3:21
who,
by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control,
will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious
body.We will not stay “seeds”. We will be “planted” only to rise again as a beautiful “flower”.
Paul ends this letter with "All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household". So
Paul's work had made believers even in the household of Nero. Paul
was under house arrest in Rome from 61 to 63 AD. Nero was Caesar from
54 to 68 AD.
What a great testimony to Paul's witness and work.
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