Simmons TPT The Book of Philippians

12-Lesson Study Guide
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4245-6436-1
Verlag: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 208 Seiten

Reihe: The Passionate Life Bible Study Series

The book of Philippians flows with joy, inspires gratitude, and imparts central doctrines of faith. Written by the apostle Paul while held captive in a prison cell, his letter to the Philippians celebrates victory, unity, and harmony, teaching us how to live together in the body of Christ. This 12-lesson study guide on the book of Philippians provides a unique and welcoming opportunity to immerse yourself in God's precious Word as expressed in The Passion Translation®. Begin your journey with a thorough introduction that details the authorship of Philippians, date of composition, first recipients, setting, purpose, central message, and key themes. Each lesson then walks you through a portion from the book and includes features such as notable verses, historical and cultural background information, definitions of words and language, cross references to other books of the Bible, maps, and character portraits of figures from the Bible and church history. Enrich your biblical understanding of the book of Philippians, experience God's love for you, and share his heart with others.  

DR. BRIAN SIMMONS is a passionate lover of God. After a dramatic conversion to Christ, Brian knew that God was calling him to go to the unreached people of the world and present the gospel of God's grace to all who would listen. With his wife, Candice, and their three children, he spent eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Having been trained in linguistics and Bible translation principles, Brian assisted in the Paya-Kuna New Testament translation project. After his ministry overseas, Brian was instrumental in planting a thriving church in New England (U.S.) and currently travels full time as a speaker and Bible teacher. He is the lead translator of The Passion Translation®.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Simmons, Brian

Leseproben

LESSON 1

The Apostle Paul, Philippians, and Choosing Joy

Welcome to the letter to the Philippians, an epistle that flows with joy, inspires gratitude, and shares many truths about Jesus. Writing while imprisoned, Paul expresses joy and gladness nineteen times in this short book. He sees his circumstances as nothing compared to the wonder of knowing Jesus.

Philippians provides examples of Christians to imitate, delights in opportunities that even imprisonment afforded for sharing the gospel, and expresses the apostle Paul’s gratitude for the support of his friends in Philippi. His perspective is not of a victim but of a thankful missionary who uses every opportunity to advance faith in Jesus and show appreciation to people who have supported him.

Ever mindful of the need for others to have faith in Jesus Christ, Paul shares a creed, also known as the passage or “Christ Hymn” (Philippians 2:9–11). It lays out basic facts about Christ from his preexistent glory to his sacrifice on the cross as our exalted Lord.

Paul encourages his dear friends in Philippi to live in harmony as the community of Christ. He urges these faithful followers to focus on living their faith and understanding that their true citizenship lies in heaven. This means choosing a positive attitude and finding contentment in all circumstances. Paul wants believers to look forward to the glory of God in eternity and to trust that God will strengthen them and satisfy their needs on earth. Paul also wants to inspire them to share their faith.

Authorship

Early Christians accepted that Paul wrote the book of Philippians and sent it as a letter from himself and his friend Timothy, as revealed in the letter’s opening verse. The book’s style and content are consistent with Paul’s other known writings. Thirteen of the epistles in the New Testament are attributed to Paul, making up nearly half the total number of books in this portion of Scripture. Philippians is one of his four letters written from prison, and he wrote it to church members and leaders in Philippi, an ancient city in Macedonia. It’s one of his most personal letters.

Bible scholars who focus on the New Testament letters attributed to Paul study even passages within them to determine if any are pre-Pauline texts (known to Paul but not originally composed by him) or post-Pauline (added into his letter after he wrote it, also called Scholars continue to debate the original authorship of verses 2:6–11, but no one describes this passage as post-Pauline, and many scholars believe it was part of an early hymn known to Paul and thus pre-Pauline.2 This is not the only occasion where Paul and other New Testament writers drew from outside sources.3 But in this section of Philippians, the hymnal fragments show that the Christian belief in Jesus’ exalted divine nature and status predated Paul’s ministry and likely became entrenched in the church in its earliest years.

External evidence for Paul’s authorship of Philippians comes from the writings of Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), Irenaeus (ca. 120–ca. 200), Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–215), Tertullian (ca. 155–ca. 220), and other church fathers. The internal and external evidence for Paul’s authorship of this letter is so persuasive that “the vast majority of those who study the NT today are certain that Paul was responsible for Philippians.”4

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THE EXTRA MILE

Consider Paul’s tone and style. Philippians is a very personal letter and less formal than his other epistles.5

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The Letter’s Recipients

Paul addressed this letter to the church in Philippi that he started on his second missionary journey between 49 and 52 CE, detailed in Acts 16–18. He wrote the letter to be read publicly to all the believers in Philippi. Paul returned there on his third missionary trip (Acts 20:1). Generally, Paul looked for a synagogue where he could preach to Jews, but Philippi served as a Roman outpost, and too few Jews lived there to establish a synagogue (16:13). According to Jewish tradition, it took ten Jewish men to establish a synagogue.6

Philippi’s rich history began when King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great (king of the ancient Greek kingdom or Macedon), took the town in 356 BCE, renamed it, and expanded it. The city was known for its fertile fields and nearby gold mines in the mountains to the north. In 168 BCE he captured the city. In 42 BCE, the Roman forces of Mark Antony and Octavian, loyalists to the assassinated Roman ruler Julius Caesar, defeated those of the assassins, Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassias, outside the city of Philippi. “In celebration of the victory the city was made a Roman colony with the special privileges this involved.”7

Many retired Roman soldiers lived in Philippi and received special privileges in exchange for helping to guard the city. About eighty years before Paul’s first trip to Philippi, the Roman government granted land there to retired soldiers. Their presence added to the patriotism among the people and led to a term for the area called “The Romanness of Philippi.” People prized Roman citizenship there, dressed in Roman clothing, and spoke Latin.8 Paul’s mention of his Roman citizenship and the rights that accompanied it led to his eventual release from prison in that city (16:35–40).

People Paul met in Philippi included Lydia, a merchant of purple cloth who housed him (vv. 11–15, 40); a Roman jailer, who almost committed suicide because he thought Paul and Silas had escaped after an earthquake and who ended up believing in Jesus through their ministry (vv. 25–36); and a slave girl Paul healed of demonic possession (vv. 16–18). The strange mix of people Paul encountered reflected the mix of residents in that region. In fact, the population included Thracians, Greeks, and Romans, and archaeological discoveries reveal the people’s diverse religious beliefs and practices.9

Scholars estimate the population of Philippi during the first century at ten to fifteen thousand, with the majority of people being slaves, farmers, and service workers. Before the city became a Roman colony, its culture was Greek. As the population became more Romanized, it didn’t lose its Greek roots and expressions. Even the Greek language was still used along with Latin.10

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THE BACKSTORY

Paul’s first visit to Philippi marked his first time in Europe. He had planned to revisit the places he went to on his first missionary journey (15:36, 41), but an extraordinary vision from God changed his plans (16:9–12). The vision included a plea for help from a man from Macedonia, and it brought Paul to Philippi and opened the doors to start a church community there. Commenting on this event, New Testament scholar Richard Longenecker writes:

Authentic turning points in history are few. But surely among them that of the Macedonian vision ranks high. Because of Paul’s obedience at this point, the gospel went westward; and ultimately Europe and the Western world were evangelized. Christian response to the call of God is never a trivial thing. Indeed, as in this instance, great issues and untold blessings may depend on it.11

Silas (15:22, 40; 16:16–19) and Timothy (16:1–3) accompanied Paul on the first visit to Philippi. Luke, who was likely a resident of Philippi, also joined Paul’s missionary team as indicated by the “we” language that begins in 16:10. (Luke was the writer of Acts, so by using “we,” he includes himself among the travelers.)12

Archeology and history show that the Philippian community of Christians continued to grow after they were first established. Evidence of a Basilica to Paul with a baptistry indicate the community must have been large by the time Constantine allowed freedom of religion in 313 CE. In the second century,...