PAUL’S LETTER TO PHILIPPIANS (Joy in all circumstances)
Author: Paul.
Date: AD 61 from Rome during Paul’s imprisonment.
Key Place: Ephesus, Caesarea or Rome.
To whom written: The members of the church of Philippians and to all believers everywhere.
Key people: Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus, Euodia and Syntyche.
Paul writing the letter in Prison
Background:
Luke described the city called Philippi as a Roman colony (Acts 16:12). The emperor Augustus allowed retired soldiers to live there after they had supported him in a battle in 31 BC. The city lay in the east-west trade route called the Ignatian Way.
As a Roman colony, its citizens possessed the same rights and laws as those who lived in Italy. Paul and Silas, with Timothy and Luke, established the church there in their 2nd Missionary journey after they crossed from Asia into Europe (Acts 16:12-40). Paul visited Philippi again on his 3rd Missionary journey (Acts 20:1-6). It was a group of Christians of whom Paul was very fond of and he called the members his “joy and crown” (4:1). The Christians in Philippi were not rich, but they supported Paul and his companions with the gifts of money and also gave money for the poor Christians in Jerusalem (2 Cor.8:1-5).
In (Acts 16:12-40), Paul went to a riverside on a Sabbath hoping to find some Jewish people who would normally go to riverside for ritual purification. Paul finds a group of women gathered there, including a woman named Lydia (or perhaps the Lydian lady) who was a dealer in purple cloth and was proselyte to Judaism. She had probably converted to Judaism when living in Thyatira and brought her faith with her to Philippi. When she listened to Paul, God opened her heart and she accepted Christ as her personal Saviour.
She invited Paul and his companions to her home where her entire household too got converted and were baptized. The entire household refers that, perhaps she was a widow and she herself was managing the business. Paul and his companions stayed for a long time, and in Lydia’s house the church of Philippi was started. When Paul and Silas were released from prison, they came
to Lydia’s house, and met many brothers and sisters (Acts 16:40), which again indicates that the Church was founded in Lydia’s house.
Further the events which happened in Philippi: the conversion of a female slave who was possessed with a spirit (Acts 16:16-18), and the conversion of Jailer (Acts 16:19-34) had lead Paul to write a beautiful letter to the church of Philippi.
Paul preaching to Women at riverside