Swindoll Study Bible and Searching the Scriptures - Flipbook - Page 12
PHILIPPIANS
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
PHILIPPIANS 1:21
Who Wrote the Book?
Paul ministered in Philippi during his second missionary journey and spent
enough time there to plant a church. While there, he got in trouble for casting
out a demon and was then imprisoned (Acts 16:11-40). This visit came about as a
result of a vision he’d had in the city of Troas, just across the northeastern corner
of the Aegean Sea (Acts 16:810). Paul’s ministry in Philippi began the spread of
the gospel into Macedonia.
During his first stay in Philippi, Paul brought to faith in Christ the people who
would form the core of the burgeoning congregation in the city. Among them
were Lydia, a businesswoman who opened her home to Paul and his c o-workers
(Acts 16:13-15), and a Philippian jailer who came to faith after an earthquake
miraculously broke open the prison he was guarding (Acts 16:22-34). Paul briefly
visited the city again on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:6).
Where Are We?
Of the four Prison Epistles, Paul likely wrote Philippians l ast—in ad 61 or 62—
near the end of his house arrest in Rome. Paul had sent the other three Prison
Epistles—Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon—by the hand of Tychicus (and
Onesimus) because the letters’ recipients were near one another. However, the
letter to the Philippians was delivered by Epaphroditus, who had come to Paul in
Rome with financial help from the church at Philippi (Phil. 2:25; 4:18). During his
time in the capital city, Epaphroditus took ill. This delayed his return home and
also the delivery of the letter (Phil. 2:26-27).
Why Is Philippians So Important?
The apostle Paul did not write Philippians in response to a crisis, as he did
with Galatians and Colossians. Instead, he wrote to express his appreciation
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