Rooting & Rejoicing

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PHILIPPIANS

By Layna Fullington

I find it providential that Philippians was scheduled months ago to be our One-to-One Bible reading for this month. It seems we are living in uncertain and uncharted territory right now. Each new day stirs up all kinds of feelings and questions. “What is the purpose of all this?” “How can I stay true to my calling during this time?” We have only to look back at the life of the writer of Philippians, the Apostle Paul, to remind ourselves that God is at work, furthering his kingdom through the lives of his people. Paul’s missions were fraught with uncertain and uncharted territory, but He never forgot his high calling, which was to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentiles. As we look back at Paul’s time in Philippi, we see he faced highs and lows. But ultimately, we see the sovereignty of God as he strategically plants a church in Philippi. 

Paul’s history with the Philippians begins as he set out on his 2nd missionary journey, about 49 A.D. Paul, being told by the Spirit not to go into Asia at that time, is instead urged by a vision in the night saying “come to Macedonia and help us.” And so, led by the Spirit, Paul and his companions are perfectly placed in the Roman colony of Philippi, a chief city of Macedonia. Looking for a place of prayer, Paul encounters a group of women by a river. One of the women named Lydia, a godly woman from Thyatira who sells purple cloth, opens her heart to Paul’s message that day and is baptized along with her whole household. This same Lydia urges Paul saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the LORD, come to my house and stay.”  And so, with the conversions of Lydia and her household, the first church in Europe begins.

The next series of events brings persecution and suffering to Paul on his mission for the gospel. Again, on their way to a place of prayer, Paul encounters a slave girl with a spirit of divination. Paul, being grieved by her outbursts, frees her from the demon possession that has brought her owners much profit. Upset by the loss of profit, her owners incite a riot and cause Paul and Silas to be beaten and unjustly thrown into a dark jail cell. Here it is revealed to us that in the midst of this strange event, God has been at work all along. As Paul and Silas sit in the darkness and sing hymns to the Lord, an earthquake occurs, and they are miraculously unbound from their chains. Paul’s jailer, after waking and finding his captives unbound and able to escape, is prepared to take his own life. However, after finding his captives all accounted for, the jailer does not end his life but instead asks these missionaries the ultimate question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Not only does the jailer believe, but the very same hour he takes them to his home to wash their wounds and feed them. And like Lydia, he and his entire household are baptized.

Paul is only able to visit Philippi twice more before the Spirit moves him forward with his calling, a calling that leads to persecution, shipwreck, bonds, and even to the high courts of Rome where he delivers his own miraculous conversion story. It is widely believed that this letter to the Philippian church was written about 10 years after Paul first visited Philippi. It is also very likely that Paul was under house arrest in Rome when this letter was written, uncertain if he will be executed or not. We can assume that Paul felt much like we are feeling today: isolated from our brothers and sisters, unsure of what tomorrow will bring.

In this letter Paul expresses his desire to see these saints again and also to thank them for sending a gift through Epaphroditus, a fellow worker in Christ. But this letter does so much more than that. It reminds the saints in Philippi and also us today that we are held together by a common mission: to confess to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord.  It is in Him that we find the strength to continue our mission in a broken world. And it is in Him that we find joy in the most unlikely circumstances. Like Paul, we do not labor in vain. We press on knowing our citizenship is with a Holy King, and that my friends, gives us every reason to rejoice.           

RESOURCES

Resources for reading and rejoicing in Philippians can be found on the Women’s Ministry page of New Life Church’s website. You will find a Prayer focus page on Joy, a schedule for reading Philippians in a month, and One-to-One Bible Reading questions on Philippians. Open and print the resources as needed.

For your joy and benefit, continue to connect with another woman or two to read the Bible One-to-One. Reach out to someone and invite them to read with you over the internet or the phone. Send Marcia a message if you would like help connecting with someone or have questions about how to access resources. We are building strong roots and making memories, with the Lord and with each other.

LINKS

In each newsletter, we try to include links to articles or books or music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Enjoy!

(Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church.)

Marcia ReavelyComment