Phil 1:1-2 - We Are NOT Alone: Greet One Another
Doug Partin – The Christian Church – Jan 6, 2013
As we begin this New Year, I thought that we’d take a look at how the
believers in one of the very first churches related to one another
despite their differences. That church was in Philippi, a Macedonian city,
which lay on the Ignatian way, which as you may know, was a 700 mile
land route that the Romans built in 2 BC to link the western and
eastern parts of their empire. It ran from the shores of Greece, just
across the Aegean sea from the southern tip of Italy, through
Macedonia, and over to Byzantium.
Philippi gained the Empire’s attention in 42 BC, because it was the
site where the imperial armies of Antony and Octavian defeated the
republican generals Brutus and Cassius (the assassins of Julius Caesar).
The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire
under Octavian’s leadership. He was later given the name Augustus by
the Roman senate and served as Caesar when Jesus was born.
Philippi became a Roman Colony, and many of those who fought
in war of 42 settled in there. When Rome conquered Macedonia, they
divided it into four districts, and since Philippi had previously been
fortified by Philip of Macedon, from whom the city got its name, the
Romans used it as a military center from which they subdued the rest
of the district. As a colony, the citizens of Philippi had the same rights
as the citizens of Rome, which was not true for the rest of the people
living in that district.
When the apostle Paul and his traveling companions came to
Philippi on his second missionary journey, around 50 AD, their first
converts were a group of women who had been meeting by the river
for Prayer. Evidently there were not enough Jewish men in town to
form a Synagogue, and none are mentioned to be at these gatherings,
although they would have been welcome. One of the women, Lydia was
a merchant, a seller of purple, the other women presumably worked
for her, comprising her household. Upon hearing and responding to the
message of salvation, Lydia invited Paul and Silas to stay in her home
while they continued to preach in Philippi.
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It wasn’t long before they got in trouble when on their way down
to the river to pray. A girl described as being possessed with the spirit
of python, which was symbolized as the snake which guarded the
Delphi oracles, followed them around and proclaimed that they were
servants of the most high God, and that they were in town to proclaim
the way of salvation. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing for her to say,
since it was the truth, and she was the one who those in that city
turned to for guidance about future things, but she was really sounding
the alarm because what Paul and Silas were doing, spreading a religion
that was not recognized, was against Roman law, and this girl was
letting people know it. Paul ended up casting the evil spirit out of her,
which ended her ability to proclaim oracles. Those who had been
making money off of her ability and now unable to do so, stirred up the
city against Paul and Silas and had them thrown in jail.
They were praying and singing praises in the middle of the night
when an earthquake shook the prison so hard that its doors were
opened and all the prisoners took advantage of this and escaped, except
for Paul and Silas. They called out to their guard that he should not
harm himself, because they were there. Had they escaped, the guard’s
punishment would have been unbearable. The guard rushed in and fell
before them and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul’s
answer was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and
your household.” The guard took them home, washed their wounds,
and then he and his whole household were baptized.
Paul left that city, and as far as we know, only visited it one other
time, and that was on his way home from his last missionary journey.
But those who became believers through Paul’s ministry, brief as it was
in that city, formed a church which was known to not only to stay in
touch with Paul, but to send him financial support. Since the first “we”
section in the book of Acts, which indicate when Luke was traveling
with Paul, end as Paul left Philippi, many scholars feel that Luke stayed
behind to help establish the church in Philippi, especially since the “we”
sections pick back up when Paul later passed through, indicating that
Luke rejoined him as he headed back to Jerusalem.
The household of a Jewish women merchant, the household of a
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Roman guard, and Luke would have made an interesting group of
“charter members.” These are not people who would ever have
associated with one another if it had not been for the gospel which
now bound them together. Now they gathered together to worship, to
encourage one another, to learn more about following Jesus, they
served together, shared the gospel with others together, and in general
learned to live life as the church in Philippi. Look around, would you be
connected to the other people here today if it were not for Jesus? Part
of the reason that we have church events is so you can get to know
one another better, so you can be the church better.
There was no Skype, no Facebook, no texts, no webpages; in fact,
they had none of instant communications that we enjoy today, not even
snail mail existed back then, but they could send letters that would be
delivered by a trusted currier.
The book of Philippians is a letter that Paul and Timothy sent to
the Philippians some 10 years or so after the last time Paul passed
through that city. He wanted to visit them again, but he was in prison,
awaiting trial in Rome. The letter’s preservation is an amazing story in
itself, but instead of getting caught up in how a letter written so long
ago has endured the passing of time, we’ll focus on the message it
delivered.
As with any letter, modern or ancient, it begins with a greeting,
which reveals a lot more than you may realize. “Paul and Timothy,
bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are
in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The first thing we learn is that this letter is from Paul and
Timothy, but they do not identify themselves as apostles, missionaries,
church planters, or even teachers, instead they claim to be slaves of
Jesus Christ. Most English translations try to soften this term by
translating it “servants” or “bond-servants,” but it was the Greek word
specifically used to indicate a slave. There are certainly a lot of negative
connotations associated with slavery but it is the way Paul and Timothy
defined themselves.
Romans, like Americans today, prized their personal freedom -
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their capacity to choose for themselves. Service given to another
person was admired, but only when it was freely given, and they had
plenty of words to describe that kind of relationship. But so despised
was the situation in which one person’s will would take precedence
over another person’s will without their consent, that the term slave
was used as worst of verbal insults.
To lose one’s freedom was seen as the worst of all possible
punishments. That is why, if a person was unable to pay back a financial
debt, which was viewed as an act of robbery under Roman law, it was
felt fitting that this person be sold into slavery, thus losing their
freedom until their debt was paid.
It was no little thing for Paul and Timothy to identify themselves
as slaves of Jesus Christ. His will was taking precedence over their own
will. If you recall, the Lord spoke to Ananias whom he sent to preach
salvation to Paul in Damascus; telling him that Paul was “a chosen
instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and Kings and
the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My
name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15)
Paul wanted to return to Philippi, to spend more time with them,
he longed to be with them, but he was Jesus’ slave, and just as the
Lord’s will had given him the opportunity to share the gospel to King
Herod in Israel, and before the Sanhedrin, he was now in Rome, waiting
to make his appeal to Caesar. He was God’s slave, so God’s will was
directing His path instead of his own desires.
It is also no little thing that Paul and Timothy refer to the
recipients of their letter as saints. Their identity was no longer to be
taken from their nationality - Jews or Romans. It was no longer to be
taken from their occupation - Physicians, Guards, or Merchants. It was
not even to be taken from their role in the church – Elders or
Deacons. They were all saints, and should be quite enough for anyone.
The Septuagint is an ancient Greek translation of the Old
Testament, and thereby gives us insight into how they used their words
at that time. The word in our text translated saint was the word that
was always used to translate the word for the Temple in Jerusalem. The
Greek language had a perfectly good word for temple, but it was always
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used for non-Jewish Temples because the translators of the Old
Testament wanted to emphasize that where God resides is a Holy
place, unlike those temples. And Paul and Timothy wanted these
believers to remember that they were now God’s temple; they were
where God’s spirit resided. Paul would tell the believers in Corinth,
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of
God dwells in you? … the temple of God is holy, and that is what you
are.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17).
Slaves and Saints – Doing God’s will even when it is not what you
want to do and being the place where God’s spirit resides.
The Jewish custom was to use the greeting Shalom (peace) and
the Greek custom was to use the greeting Eirene (grace). Paul and
Timothy did not simply combine these two standard greetings; although
it was rather clever for them to do so. For them this seems less a
following of social custom, and more of a prayer declaring their desire
that they continue under God’s care from whom peace and grace flow.
As easily and freely as some people speak curses, Paul and
Timothy speak blessings. And I get the feeling from it that this is a
greeting of genuine affection. This is not the “Hi, how are you doing?”
while standing in line at the checkout counter, this is a “I heard you had
an unexpected visit with the doctor, are you okay?”
Paul and Timothy’s greeting makes me wonder how we
understand our own relationship with Jesus. Do we really consider
ourselves to be His slave, letting His will take precedence over our
own; or are we trying to figure out how to be Jesus’ boss? You know, if
I could only word my prayer just right then, then I’d be sure to get Him
to answer my prayers, get Him to do my will. It simply doesn’t work
that way.
And it makes me wonder how we think of one another. Do you
really see those around you as God’s temple? Do you see them as that
place where God’s spirit dwells? We’d probably treat each other a little
differently if this were really the case, perhaps with a little more
reverence, a little more dignity, a little more affection. It is my prayer
that we take this greeting as an example. Examining ourselves and one
another, and begin greeting one another in a whole new way.