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Philippians
(Apostle Paul)

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The Book of Philippians
 
This Book of the New Testament is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi. Opening the letter, Paul thanks God for the Philippians who have been a blessing to him and a blessing to the early church movement. He prays that the Philippians may increase their love more and more so that their discernment of that which is right and moral may be made clear until the second coming of the Christ.
 
Paul then writes a status report of his current circumstances. It seems that Paul has undergone great persecution for the sake of preaching the Gospel, but for this he is not dismayed. He feels that it is his courage in the face of persecution that has encouraged many of the early Christians to do as he has done- preach the gospel fearlessly. He writes that while there are those that preach Christ with a pure heart, there are many that preach out of envy and rivalry, some out of selfish ambition, etc. Paul writes that it doesn?t really matter what kind of motives people have when sharing the gospel, as long as the truth is preached. Paul writes that he exalts in his current persecution because for him, sacrifice and death in this world is not to lose life, but to gain it in Christ. While he says this, he recognizes that it would be foolish for him to suddenly martyr himself because he knows that he must continue living and continue training the Philippians to grow in faith and joy.
 
The second part of Paul?s letter consists of exhorting the Philippians towards imitating Christ. Paul writes that if the Philippians have received the joy of Christ?s salvation, then they should all endeavor to unite in spirit and purpose. In order to do this, Paul writes, the Philippians must develop a heart of humility, looking down upon selfish ambitions and working towards the betterment of others. This kind of selfless heart is best exemplified in the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross who being God, turned himself into a servant and sacrificed himself so that the world would be reconciled and purified. Paul also writes that a part of humility is not complaining and becoming children of God ? pure and blameless. All this so that on the day of Christ, the Philippians may be justified in the redeeming salvation they have received and that Paul may be justified in his efforts.
 
The third part of the letter consists of two parts. In the first part, Paul tells the Philippians that he will soon be sending Timothy and Epaphroditus, two other early church leaders. These two, much like Paul himself, are competent in teaching the scripture and have been through great persecution and trials for Christ. Paul encourages the Philippians to welcome them with open arms. In the second part, Paul writes about having absolutely no confidence in the flesh, or in other words, no confidence in birthright or achievements of this world as justifications of righteousness. Instead, Paul writes, what matters the most is faith in God and knowing Jesus Christ. Writing on a more personal level, Paul writes that all that he achieved in the Judaic tradition of law, he considers as loss compared to the redemption he has experienced through Christ. This redemption is so great, Paul writes, that he strives to become like Christ, to share in the suffering of righteousness and to give himself up fully for the sake of truth.
 
Paul wraps up the letter with some final exhortations, telling the Philippians to press onward in loving each other, purifying themselves, and living Godly lives. Paul encourages all to forget what happened in the past and keep their eyes fixed on the goal because the destiny of the believer is to be united with God in heaven. Paul also encourages all to rejoice constantly in the Lord and to develop a strong faith through prayer and petition. He says that it is not right to dwell on the negative, but to always keep one?s mind focused on all that is right and worthy so that one can more easily live a Godly liiffe.
 
All in all, Philippians is a book of the Bible that encourages believers to be steadfast in the face of persecution and gives justification for a living pure life and having faith. The justification for all this is Jesus Christ, the centerpiece of the Christian faith who set a standard of godliness and sacrifice through his life, works, and final act- dying on the cross for the sins of mankind.



Resumos Relacionados


- Epistle To The Philippians

- Epistle To The Philippians

- Epistle To The Colossians

- Ephesians

- The Epistle Of Galatians



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