Philippians 1:1
Introduction to Philippians
I. Introduction
A. It seems likely that Paul passed through the city of Philippi three
times.
1. First, Paul stopped in Philippi while on his 2nd missionary
journey.
a. A large portion of the book of Acts can be outlined into
Paul’s journeys.
b. Counting his arrest and deportation to Rome, there are
four journeys.
(1) First Journey \\#Acts 13:1-14:28\\
(2) Second Journey \\#Acts 15:36-18:22\\
(3) Third Journey \\#Acts 18:23-21:15\\
(4) Journey to Rome \\#Acts 23:31-28:16\\
c. Paul started the church in Philippi on his second journey
\\#Acts 16:12-40\\.
2. Second, Paul probably stopped on his 3rd missionary journey as he
traveled to Greece.
a. This stop is questionable because it is not specifically
mentioned in the book of Acts.
b. It would have occurred as Paul left Ephesus (Acts 19) and
headed toward Greece.
Acts 20:1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples,
and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation,
he came into Greece,
c. It is unlikely that Paul would have traveled so close to this
costal city and not stopped to visit.
d. It is also probable that this is the occurrence that Paul spoke
of to the Corinthians.
2Cor 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on
the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their
deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were
willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon
us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the
Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
3. At the end of Paul’s third journey, Paul passed through Philippi
on his way to Troas \\#Acts 20:3-6\\.
Acts 20:3 And there (Greece) abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait
for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through
Macedonia.
4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the
Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and
of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came
unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
4. The last two visits were brief, although the first one was longer.
a. \\#Acts 16:12\\ They abode in the city "certain days."
b. \\#Acts 16:18\\ Paul endured the demon possessed woman
following them around for "many days" before finally
casting out the demon.
c. During that time, several people were saved (Lydia, the
jailer and his family, and "the brethren" \\#Acts 16:40\\)
and a church was started.
d. Strong friendships, which included financial backing for Paul’s
ministry, were made.
Philippians 4:16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my
necessity.
e. It appears that Luke (whom we suppose to be the writer
of Acts) may have stayed in Philippi to continue the work
there.
(1) The change in the personal pronoun from "we" to "they"
by the narrator begins after Paul leaves Philippi.
(2) It resumes at the beginning of the third missionary
journey \\#Acts 16:16, 17:1, 20:6\\.
B. The city of Philippi
1. The city was named after Philip of Macedonia, king of that region
around 360 BC.
a. The city was about 9 miles from the Mediterranean Sea and was
located 1600 feet above sea level.
b. Paved roads lead in and out of the city.
c. Paul himself would have traveled on those roads.
2. The city was the location of a decisive battle within Rome’s
internal political struggles.
a. Rome had, for centuries, been a republic but had grown weak
politically.
b. For a long period of time, generals fought for the position
of emperor.
c. The battle at Philippi helped to place Octavian (Augustus) as
emperor.
d. Because of that, Octavian made Philippi his own "pet
project."
e. It was made into a Roman colony in 42 BC.
f. It has been referred to as a "miniature Rome," because control
and the affairs of that city were handled directly from Rome.
g. The city’s culture and citizenship became predominately Roman.
h. That the Roman flavor became a great source of pride to the
inhabitants is even seen in the Scripture:
Acts 16:20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews,
do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to
observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent
off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
i. A Roman citizen had rights and privileges not afforded to
non-Romans. The source of the greatest honors was to be
born a Roman citizen, but citizenship could be purchased.
j. It was for this reason that the local magistrates greatly
feared when they learned they had imprisoned and beaten
a Roman citizen.
Acts 16:35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying,
Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have
sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being
Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily?
nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared,
when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to
depart out of the city.
C. The time of the actual writing of Philippians would seem to be while
Paul was imprisoned at Rome.
1. His references to…
a. the palace guard \\#Phil 1:13\\,
b. Caesar’s household \\#Phil 4:22\\,
c. and a long imprisonment with the prospect of death
\\#Phil 1:12-20\\…
d. all support this.
2. This would appear to be Paul’s first Roman imprisonment. Paul
had a strong impression that he will be released \\#Phil 1:19\\.
Phil 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer,
and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
3. This would make Philippians one of five prison epistles.
a. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians are thought
to written during Paul’s first imprisonment (60-63 AD).
b. 2Timothy is thought to have been written during Paul’s second
Roman imprisonment (67-68).
D. The theme of the book is rejoicing.
1. The word JOY is used 6 times \\#Phil 1:4,25 2:2,17,18 4:1\\.
2. Paul is encouraging these believers not only to continue in his
absence but to do so with rejoicing.
I. \\#Acts 16:13-15\\ Notice the Tender Heart
A. The woman’s name is Lydia.
1. We really know very little about her.
2. She was probably a Jewess.
a. \\#Acts 16:13\\ She is named among the women who went to
pray on the Sabbath.
b. \\#Acts 16:14\\ She was already a worshipper of God.
B. \\#Acts 16:14\\ Unlike so many other Jews, this woman’s heart was
tender.
1. When she heard about Jesus, she immediately accepted Him as her
Messiah and Savior.
2. Although it may have been longer, it looks like she accepted the
Lord right then and there!
a. \\#Acts 16:15\\ She was soon baptized.
b. \\#Acts 16:15\\ At which time, she opened her home to Paul
and his company.
3. How rare it is to find a heart so well cultivated and tender that
all it needs is to have the seed dropped into it!
II. \\#Acts 16:16-19\\ Notice the Tough Hearts - There are several.
A. \\#Acts 16:16\\ Demon-possessed woman
1. This woman was obviously possessed with a demon.
a. What makes this different from some others in the Bible is
that it doesn’t look like she was an unwilling host!
b. Indeed, she had learned to use her wicked spiritual condition
to earn someone some money.
2. This woman was obviously very cold-hearted toward the things of
God.
a. \\#Acts 16:18\\ She followed Paul and company around for
"many days."
b. In that time, she must have heard Paul preach and perhaps even
saw some miracles, but she was unmoved by it.
c. Indeed, it would seem that she knew that Paul preached the
truth because the demon within her told her who he was.
3. Even so, her heart was cold, hard, unmoving.
4. Even after the demon was cast out of her, there is no indication
that she came to the Lord.
B. \\#Acts 16:19\\ There was her master.
1. The Bible tells us what moved this man. Simply put, it was the
fact that once the demon was cast out of the woman, his ability
to make money with her was gone.
2. Knowing what moved him, we see what did not.
a. This man was never moved that the woman was possessed by a
demon in the first place.
b. This man was not moved that Paul and his band came into the
city to preach.
c. This man was not moved that Lydia and others whom he did not
profit from were saved.
d. This man was not moved that the woman herself had been freed
from her demonic oppression.
e. No. None of these things moved the man. Only the fact that
he would no longer make money off the woman.
3. This is a cold, hard hearted man.
a. Miracles are happening around him, but he does not care.
b. People are being freed from oppressive demoniac control but
he does not care.
4. There is no indication that this financial master was possessed
with a demon, but his heart seems just as hard and cold as the
woman who is possessed.
C. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned. Maybe it doesn’t matter as
much what your heart is filled with. The fact that it is fully
occupied may mean you simply have no more room for God.
III. \\#Acts 16:22-34\\ Note the Transformed Heart
A. The strange thing here is that you would have thought this man’s
heart might be the toughest of all.
1. He had a tough job which required him to do some very distasteful
things.
2. I would expect his appearance to match his work (that is, he
would not appear very friendly).
B. This man was not easily converted.
1. It is just as likely that he would have rejected the Lord as
accept Him, perhaps even more so.
2. Yet something moved him to accept Jesus.
3. What was it?
C. First, consider what did not win this man.
1. It was not the message.
2. \\#30\\ Once the man was ready to be saved, he had to find out
what the message was!
D. By my count, that only leaves two things.
1. It was the messengers.
a. Paul and Silas has been beaten and imprisoned for no crime
at all.
b. Yet, instead of being bitter and angry, they rejoiced and
sang to their God.
c. One of the best "convincer" tools is the Spirit-filled life
of a messenger.
d. This is the light that Jesus told us to shine.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
e. For a light to influence a lost person….
(1) The lost person get must close enough to the saved
person to see it.
(2) There must be enough darkness around the saved person so
that his light can be noticed. (Darkness in this case
is difficulty.)
(3) The light must stand up to the inspection.
2. It was the God of the messenger.
a. The problem with the tough-hearted was that even when they saw
God, they did not acknowledge Him.
b. This man saw God and stopped to "check Him out."
c. Our prayer for others should be that God will show Himself to
them.
d. Once they see God, they will be a whole lot more willing to
hear the message.
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