As a result of the encouraging feedback to last year’s series of addresses at St Mary’s on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the Ministry Team have decided to offer a similar series over the next couple of months, this time on the Letter to the Philippians.
Philippians is a comparatively short letter and is often known as the Letter of Joy, because it is full of warm spiritual nourishment. However, the Letter also packs a powerful theological punch and sharply challenges us to live out a “cross-shaped” lifestyle. It is addressed to a brave and resilient group of believers living in a society dominated by rigid Imperial Roman ways. To understand the Letter, it helps to know something about Philippi, – where it was and the mix of citizenry. The first two addresses deal with that, how the Gospel came to Philippi and the experiences that Paul and his companions had there.
The ancient city of Philippi is to the North of the Aegean Sea in what is now Northern Greece. It was established in 356BC by King Philip of Macedon to control the main pass through a range of hills to the East of the City near Macedon’s borders with the Kingdom of Thrace. By the time of Paul’s first visit in 50AD during his Second Missionary Journey, the city was part of the Roman Empire and had evolved into a Roman colony. The colonists were largely groups of Army veterans who had completed military service, but still dressed as Romans, spoke Latin and followed Roman law. The coming of the Gospel to Philippi was a major development in that it was the first time that the Gospel had been proclaimed in Europe. Paul’s route is shown on the Map. He was accompanied by Silas, and the young disciple Timothy joined them at Lystra. At Troas, the narrative of Acts, which was written by Luke the Evangelist, suddenly changes from the 3rd person plural (they) to the 1st person plural (we), and the assumption is that Luke joined the others at the port of Troas.
As we learn from our reading, Paul makes landfall in Europe at Neapolis, and the group go on to the chief city – Philippi. Religion inside the City is very much Roman-based and so on the Jewish Sabbath, Paul and his companions go outside the walls and meet with Lydia, the wealthy seller of purple, who becomes the first Christian convert. They are also trailed by the mad slave-girl who so exasperated Paul that he turned and ordered the evil spirit to come out of her, which it duly did. But this really annoyed her owners who promptly brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates and as a result they were put in prison.
Our first address will explore what happened in Philippi in more detail and additionally direct our thoughts to what a missionary journey would have involved.
John Sweeting, Ministry Team