PHILIPPIANS (3): The Church at Philippi (Philippians 1:3-10)

After seeing how the Gospel is the fulfilment of the Year of Jubilee, we look at the dramatic story of how Paul planted the Church at Philippi during his 2nd Missionary Journey in Acts 16, when he brought the Gospel into Europe for the first time. We discuss the history and strategic location of Philippi, as the gateway between Europe and Asia, and how it became a Roman Colony, with special status and rights. Likewise, the Church in every place is a Colony of Heaven, living by the laws and ways of Heaven, not of this world, representing the Kingdom of God to the world, showing forth an example of what life is like in the Kingdom of Heaven, and bringing the people under the influence of God. In this letter, Paul opens his heart to the Philippians in a special way, because they had partnered with him in spreading the Gospel from the very beginning, when the Church was founded. Above all the other Churches, their heart was with Paul, and this was shown by their consistent support of him in prayer and financial gifts. In fact, the occasion for Paul to write Philippians was to thank them for the gift they had recently sent him, through Epaphroditus, to help sustain him in prison (1:5, 2:25-30, 4:10-19).