Intro to Philippians
a. Who wrote it? b. Who is it written to? c. Who is it written for?
a. Paul. Timothy’s name also listed as writer – maybe he was with Paul when letter was written; maybe Timothy wrote while Paul dictated.
b. to the Christians in Philippi. “The church” at Philippi probably consisted of gatherings of believers in their homes. Philippi was Roman/Greek in culture, was a Roman colony.
c. It was not written to us, but it was written for us. Always a good idea to figure out the context for which a particular Biblical text was written.
2. What?
a. What type of writing is it? b. What is it about?
a. a letter; only one side of the ‘conversation’.
b. Themes you might see – joy, partnership (fellowship, community = koinonia), unity, selflessness, “In Christ,” an example to follow.
a. Where were Paul and Timothy when the letter was written?
b. Where was Philippi?
a. Paul was in prison. Scholars not sure which prison (Ephesus, Caesarea, Rome).
b. Macedonia.
4. When?
a. When was it written?
Scholars conjecture anywhere from 54AD to 62AD; after Paul and Timothy had been to Philippi; before the New Testament was “published.”
Phil 1:1-2 - some of our observations
Two authors are listed. Timothy may have helped write or not, but Paul and Timothy are presented as authors together, perhaps to stress unity.
Paul and Timothy’s self-description as slaves indicates that Christ is their leader.
The writers open their letter with a benediction.
On titles: Choosing a title for ourselves was difficult, because we felt that our title should depend on who we are with, and which role we are in at that moment. The title “Christ” (Messiah) says that Jesus is the Anointed One. Christ is the king, but not like an earthly king.
In 2.b. above, "koinonia" is Greek, right?
ReplyDeleteYes, koinonia is Greek. One study guide says, "In the New Testament it carries with it the idea of men and women bound together in a community of love, sharing, and active burden-bearing."
ReplyDelete