Background on Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Background on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

The City of Philippi

The city we refer to as Philippi was founded in 356 BC by King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Besides being established on a major east-west trade route, the city became rich and famous because of the gold mines located nearby. During the Classical Greek period Macedon was a separate kingdom to the north of Greece but by the Hellenistic Period it was the dominant state of the Greek Kingdom, which was ruled over by Alexander the Great. After years of fighting Macedonia eventually fell to the Romans and in the year 42 BC Philippi was renamed “Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis” and became a Roman Colony. Finally, in the year 27 BC, after centuries of wars and battles between the Greeks and Romans, all of Greece including Macedonia fell under Roman rule.

As a Roman Colony Philippi came under the “ias Italicum, i.e. Italian Law”, which meant that the citizens of Philippi enjoyed nearly all the same rights and privileges as the citizens of Rome. Under this law Philippi was governed under Roman rather than local or Hellenistic law, and had a greater degree of autonomy in their relations with provincial governors. As citizens of Rome, people in Philippi were able to buy and sell property, were exempt from land tax and the poll tax and were entitled to protection by Roman law. They had the privilege of filing civil lawsuits in Roman courts. Moreover, all those born in the city automatically gained Roman citizenship. Many of the inhabitants of Philippi were retired Roman soldiers who had been awarded for their brave and faithful service with property, and in turn, provided a protective military presence for the city. The inhabitants of Philippi prided themselves on being “Roman” and many wore Roman dress and spoke Latin. This elevated status and wealth gave the Philippians a confidence and pride that bordered on arrogance.

However, being situated on a major trade route (the Roman Via Egnatia passed through the heart of the city and connected the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire to Rome) the town also attracted many foreigners who added their own cultures and languages to the mix. Apparently, though, the Jewish community was very small, explaining why there were not enough Jewish men (10 as a minimum) to establish a synagogue.

The Date and Place of the Writing

Paul almost certainly wrote his letter to the Philippian Church in AD 61 or 62 while under house arrest in Rome. We know from Acts 28:30-31 that after arriving in Rome from his two-year imprisonment in Caesarea Paul spent approximately the next two years under house arrest in his own rented quarters while awaiting his audience with the Emperor. During that time he enjoyed a great deal of freedom to teach and meet with visitors, despite being constantly guarded by soldiers of the Praetorian Guard, the prestigious military unit that protected the city of Rome. Most biblical scholars believe that it was toward the end of those two years in Rome that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Most scholars also believe that Paul was eventually released on bail and enjoyed a period of freedom during which he made several more missionary trips, possibly revisiting his friends in Philippi. Paul was later rearrested and, this time, was almost certainly imprisoned in the dreaded Mamertine dungeon (“Carcere Mamertino”) located adjacent to the Roman Curia (court). Most scholars believe that it was from there that Paul wrote II Timothy and also from there that he was led outside the city wall to his execution in AD 67.

The Philippian Church

Acts 16 describes how the Gospel first arrived in Philippi. During Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, while traveling through Syria and Cilicia, going from church to church to encourage the new believers in the faith, Paul and Silas made plans to travel through the Phrygian and Galatian regions, having been clearly directed by the Spirit of God not to go preach in Asia. Instead, they went to Mysia with plans to go on into the region of Bithynia. However, once again, the Holy Spirit trumped their plans. So, not sure what to do next they made their way to the city of Troas, located on the extreme northwestern coast of Mysia in the Roman province of Asia. It was there, according to Acts 15:9 that Paul had a night vision from the Lord in which they were directed to go across the Aegean to Macedonia. They responded with instant obedience and booked passage to Neapolis by way of Samothrace. From Neapolis they made their way overland 10-miles to Philippi, the principal city of that region (modern Kavalla).

After several days getting to know the city, on the Sabbath day (probably Friday evening) they walked out the eastern city gate and headed south toward the Gangites River located nearby. There they encountered a small group of Jewish women gathered for Sabbath prayers by the side of the river (customarily by running water). Acts 16:13 records that Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke “sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

The results of their evangelistic efforts are recorded in Acts 16:14-40.

Special Characteristics of the Philippian Letter

1.    This could be described as a missionary thank you letter. In it Paul repeatedly thanks the Philippian believers for their partnership in his ministry and in the spreading of the Gospel.

2.    It has four obvious themes that run through the letter like scarlet threads:

a.    It is about JOY. The words “joy” or “rejoice” occur 16 times.

b.    It is about THANKFULNESS. Paul overflow with thanksgiving for the Philippian church’ kindnesses to him.

c.     It is about UNITY. Paul longs to see the church having one heart, mind, and purpose.

d.    It is about the GOSPEL. Paul speaks of the Gospel 9 times in this short letter.

3.    The letter is written with Gentiles in mind, not Jews. For example, it contains no Old Testament quotations, which is unusual for Paul.

4.    The Epistle to the Philippians contains on of the most significant Christological passages in all of the New Testament (2:5-11 called “the Kenosis”). However, Paul uses it not as a theology lesson but as an illustration of practical Christian living, using Jesus as the model.

5.    The Letter describes several key virtues of the Christian life:

a.    Love rooted in real knowledge and discernment (1:9-11)

b.    Self-effacing humility (2:1-4)

c.     Single-minded purpose (3:13-16)

d.    Trust in God for daily needs (4:6-7)

e.     Confidence in Christ (4:13)