The book of Philippians is a letter from Paul (Phil.1:1,19) to a group of Christians in the Roman city of Philippi. Philippi is a city which we find in the pages of the book of Acts as the first Macedonian city Paul visits after being guided there by God through a vision. To read this letter faithfully it is valuable to consider this context. So take a moment and imagine…

Imagine yourself as a Christian in Philippi. Philippi was a Roman Colony which had a large population of conquering military heroes, after the Emperors of Rome chose to make it a sort of “retirement outpost” for its successful veterans. As such, the Emperors of Rome gave Philippi special privileges amongst the Roman Empire, giving its citizens the same rights and privileges as the residents of the capital city of Rome! In fact, many referenced this city as “Little Rome.”

Some of the benefits of this favourable status in the Empire were the right to buy and sell property, exemption from various taxes paid to Rome, entitlement to protection by Roman law, special protection by the government from accusations from non-citizens, exemption from extreme forms of punishment, and voting rights. Long story short, it was advantageous to be a Philippian. Your life was built upon pride and privilege and it was the strength of Rome that you boasted in. You could look with disdain at the “underprivileged” cities within a short walk from your own city borders. They were “less than” and you were “greater than.”

The Gospel first penetrates this city of pride around 50 AD after Paul’s obedient response to the Macedonian call. The first doors of the gospel prove to be the households of a woman of the fabric trade named Lydia and of a prison guard entrusted to keep Paul and Silas in chains. To get context of the initial seeds of the Gospel in this city read Acts 16.

Imagine yourself also as Paul. Paul is writing from captivity in prison (Phil.1:7,13-16). Most likely this imprisonment is in Rome, the very city in which Philippi trusts. This letter is written around 60 AD, which means Paul has known many of these believers for about a decade. Their love for Paul is evidenced by the gift they provided for him during his ongoing imprisonment (Phil. 1:5; 4:10). Likewise, Paul has ongoing concern for their growth into the likeness of Christ as they struggle with disunity (Phil.1:27), selfishness (2:3), pride (2:3), and arguments (2:14). But, in spite of this concern, he is restrained from being able to visit them. This concern is intensified because, while Paul is away, false teachers have invaded the Philippian church and are corrupting the Gospel with a works based righteousness demanding all believers be circumcised (Phil. 1:28; 3:1-11). For these reasons, it’s important to Paul that the Philippian reader welcomes Epaphroditus and Timothy as humble servants and his respected friends, and also that they reject these false teachers.

So as you read the book of Philippians here are some things to consider:
1) The readers live in a culture of pride and self-sufficiency
2) The readers have always trusted in Rome as source of life and prosperity
3) The Gospel came to Philippi by the miraculous direction of God
4) The church in this city is about 10 years old and respects Paul as their father in the Gospel.
5) There are false teachers who are boasting in the flesh and demanding all be circumcised.
6) Paul is in prison and is sending ambassadors to challenge their ongoing response to the Gospel

By Chance Faulkner and Caleb Ives | Disciple of the Word