Scripture: Philippians 1:1-2
From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. To all those in Philippi who are God’s people in Christ Jesus, along with your supervisors and servants. May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Thought for the Day: Paul knew these people well. He did not use his usual list of credentials (apostle) as you don’t usually list your degrees or resume when writing to your friends. Philippi was a city of great significance, founded by Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. It was located along the Egnatian Way (Via Egnatia), an important road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd Century BC. It also was located near some significant gold mines, and for that reason, there was a lot of money moving through Philippi. The language of ‘grace and peace’ would have been well known by the Philippians as Caesar was understood as the provider of grace and peace, for he was understood as the Savior of the World. For Paul to speak of Jesus as Lord, and the God of this Jesus as the provider of Peace and Grace would have been a bit shocking to some. Some scholars suggest it would have been consider treason. Yet Paul wants these followers of Jesus to understand their unique place in a very important city in the Roman Empire. He doesn’t want them to hide or water down their message. Instead, he is inviting them to be bold and courageous. So often we can sprint our way through a few lines of scripture without ever pondering what was really being suggested. Paul offered a beautiful greeting, but one that carried with it a risky invitation. Paul’s words would have been read out loud to the community in Philippi, and so in the first few sentences, a community would have been declaring that the Roman Emperor, the most powerful human being on the face of the planet, was really not who he claimed to be. Wow! That’s powerful stuff!
Prayer: May the language of faith that I hear and share not be released from my lips without being processed in my mind and heart. Let me, O Lord, hear and discern the challenge being put before those who first heard these words. Let me hear and discern the challenge being put before me this day. Amen.
A Quote Pastor Bruce posted to the church’s Facebook page…
