Acts 16 offers us the introduction of Paul and Philippi. While on his second mission trip through Galatia and Phrygia (present-day southern Turkey) the Apostle Paul and his companions (Luke, Silas, and Timothy, and perhaps others) wanted to head north into Mysia and Bithynia (present-day northern Turkey). But the Holy Spirit intervened and, persuaded through a nighttime vision from God, headed to Troas (on the coast) and into Macedonia (the Greek peninsula). Philippi was a Roman colony, the leading city in the district of Macedonia, in the province of Thrace. And Paul and his entourage stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath, Paul preached the gospel to some women just outside the city, and as the Lord opened her heart to respond to his message, Lydia and the members of her household believed the gospel and were baptized. Days later, Paul exorcised a demon from a slave girl, and her owners became upset. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. That night, they were singing hymns to God while the other prisoners were listening, and there was an earthquake. The jail doors opened as a result of the tremor, and the jailer feared for his life. The Roman authorities would kill him if any of his prisoners had escaped. So he drew his sword to kill himself, thinking his life was over anyway, but Paul told him to wait. None of the prisoners had escaped. The jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” At that hour of the night the jailer and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole family. Paul was released from prison and returned to the house of Lydia to comfort all of the believers.
Paul then moved on from Philippi, but presumably left the believers there in good hands. He also visited the region on his third mission trip several years later, but no details of the visit are recorded in Scripture. So Paul founded the church at Philippi on this mission trip in 49 AD or the next trip in 51 AD. Paul was arrested after his third mission trip and eventually taken to Rome. Paul wrote this epistle to the church at Philippi from Rome, actually from a prison in Rome, some form of house arrest, between 60-62 AD.
The small church grew in size and withstood much persecution in the form of false teachers. The people persevered steadfastly in their faith in Jesus, and as this epistle bears evidence, the Philippians’ church gained recognition for their joy and generosity among the Christian churches throughout the region. Paul’s occasion for writing this letter developed like this:
Epaphroditus, the delegate of the Philippians, and presumably their pastor, came to Paul during his first Roman imprisonment with a gift from the church. Paul, to say the least, as we’ll see, appreciated the visit and the generosity of the congregation. Epaphroditus served as Paul’s attendant and as his assistant in missionary work while visiting Rome, and he likely explained to Paul the entire condition of the church, informing him that they would like to see and/or hear from him. So Paul sent him back to Philippi with this letter.
So Paul writes to the church at Philippi, and we’ll look at the content of this letter in the weeks to come. It’s about connection, purpose, humility, compassion, hope, joy, and contentment in Christ.