Exalting Christ in Philippians: The Church at Philippi

Last week, we started talking about the context behind Paul's letter to the Philippian church in AD 62, better known as "Philippians" to us. This week, we're going to look at the actual church, based on information given in Exalting Christ in Philippians by Tony Merida and Francis Chan.

Philippi, a Roman colony since 1st century B.C., has the distinction of being the 1st church on European soil, founded in Acts 16.

The story of how this church was founded is fascinating to me, actually. Paul was on his 2nd missionary journey and saw in a vision, a man saying, "Come to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). Now, that's pretty cool! Paul had no plans of going to Philippi at first. He wanted to go to Asia and Bithynia (verses 6-7), but those doors closed. So he chose to be obedient to the Lord and went to Macedonia. When Paul, Timothy, and Luke got there, they found no believers, so they began to share the Gospel.

So, it's AD 51, and Paul, Timothy, and Luke are in Philippi, which looks exactly like Rome. They goes looking for a synagogue and finds none, and ends up by the river where they sees a women's prayer meeting and approached them humbly (verses 24-25). "Here, in this quiet, non-spectacular event, the first church on European soil came together! The kingdom of God breaks in like this—small, quiet, lowly—but then expands" (page 8).

Lydia was one of these women. The authors note that she was a businesswoman who sold purple cloth, and likely a God-fearer. "But when Paul began teaching, God opened her heart and mind to believe the gospel. She and her household (who apparently also believed) were baptized. After this, she showed hospitality by inviting Paul's team to stay with her. God opened her heart; she opened her home" (page 8).

Then, Paul cast a spirit out from a tormented girl "and she was presumably converted". Her masters were not happy with this (she made them a profit through fortune-telling), so they took Paul and Silas before the magistrates, where they were flogged and imprisoned (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). 

In that prison, Paul and Silas began praying and singing, when God sent an earthquake and the bonds of everyone in the jail broken open. The jailer was terrified he'd be killed if the prisoners escaped. He drew his own sword to kill himself, before Paul said, "Don't do it! We're all still here!" To which, the jailer said, "What must I do to be saved?" And this guy and his family believed and were baptized. Paul and Silas were officially released and asked to leave the city, and the jailer decided to take Paul and Silas to his house to eat and have their wounds cleaned. But on the way, they stopped at Lydia's house to encourage the church meeting there—then they went to the jailer's house.

So, the church at Philippi was made up of Lydia and her friends (who were upper class), a jailer and his family, and a formerly demon-possessed slave girl. Talk about a difference in station! Yet it didn't matter, because at the foot of the cross, all are equal in their sin, and the depth of God's love for them.

This is the context of the church at Philippi that Paul writes to. How cool! How does knowing this add to our understanding of this letter?



That's it for our study on the culture and context of Philippians! I hope you enjoyed it. See you next week!