As we start this series looking at the letter to the Philippian church, we have to start with Paul’s first encounter with the city as found in Acts 16. Philippi was known as “The Little Rome” and was a privileged Roman colony that prided itself on Roman culture and customs. They stylized their city after Rome, followed all Roman decrees, and wanted to be Rome. Part of their special privileges was that they were exempt from paying the heavy taxes that citizens in other cities paid. They were also excused from certain military service while receiving military protection, since Philippi was an outpost for Roman soldiers and many retired there.
The book of Philippians is unique in that Paul’s words continually move back to being centered in joy. There is a constant in all of our seasons of life: Jesus reigns over created order and in this life, we will experience hardship. The way to walk in joy through all of our seasons of life is to have it centered in the constancy of knowing Jesus (Phil 2:6-8) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. We know that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil 2:11).
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