Philippians S2_Web PDF

8/14/2019 Philippians S2_Web PDF

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Session 2


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The City: Politics1. Became a Roman colony in 42BC when

Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Cassiusand Brutus, the assassins of Julius Caesar

(Battle of Philippi).

2. They released some of their veteran soldiers

and colonized the city.

3. After defeating Antony in 30BC, Octavian

populated the city once again with soldiers,

perhaps veterans from the Praetorian Guard.

IMPLICATIONS1. There was tremendous loyalty to Caesar.

2. By the time we get to our letter date (Early 60s AD) there have been

three new generations of retired military families.


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The City: Commerce1. Located 10 miles north of a significant seaport.

Neapolis (Current Day Kavalla)

2. The Egnatian Way ran through the city.


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The City: Commerce1. Located 10 miles north of a significant seaport.

2. The Egnatian Way ran through the city.

IMPLICATIONS

1. Center of commerce & trade.2. Many new ideas passed through.


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Roman Religious Climate

Quotes throughout the next

section have been taken fromAtthe Origins of Christian Worship by

Larry W. Hurtado.


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Roman Religious Climate1. It was part of everything

It is in fact difficult to point to any aspect of life in that periodthat was not explicitly connected with religion. Birth, death,

marriage, the domestic sphere, civil and wider political life,

work, the military, socializing, entertainment, arts, music all

were imbued with religious significance and associations. Any

civic and public office also had religious connotations and ofteninvolved ex officio religious duties, such as public leadership in

periodic ceremonies in honor of the city deities. Any association

of tradesmen had its patron deity, and meetings included ritual

gestures in honor of the deity.


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Roman Religious ClimatePractically any meal, and certainly any formal dinner, included

ritual acknowledgement of deities, and might well be held inrooms that formed part of the temple of this or that deity. Each

military unit had its patron deities and performed regular

religious acts in honor of them. Divinities of the kitchen were

acknowledged in daily home routines of cooking. So, in things

grand and imposing, and in things routine and familiar, religionwas involved and divinities revered as appropriate in various

devotional actions

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Roman Religious Climate2. It was highly visible.

In the Roman era religion was not only a private affair but wasalso seen as very much a public aspect of life. Religious

ceremony was deliberately intended to be noticed and to

engage the entire village or city. In fact, it is likely that the

overwhelming number of all public events were explicitly

religious in character.Page 12


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Roman Religious Climate3. Worship was tied to well-being

In the Roman era a person well-being and good fortune wasthough to be directly related to their worship of the deities.


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Roman Religious Climate4. It was polytheistic

It is also important to understand that having one's owntraditional deities in no way prevented one from acknowledging

the validity of the deities of other peoples. It was fully accepted

that each ethnic group should have and continue to reverence

their own deities. Official Roman imperial policy was to

recognize and even to support the traditional religious devotionof all subject peoples.

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Roman Religious Climate5. Included emperor worship

From the rule of Julius Caesar onward, initially in the East andthen creeping through the West, the goddess Roma

(representing imperial Rome itself) and the emperor too received

all the gestures of devotion of ancient religion (temples, their

images reverenced, sacrifices, hymns), expressing loyalty to

Rome and genuine gratitude for the benefits of Roman rule.Page 15


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Roman Religious Climate

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (traditionally c.69 - c.155) was arrested during a public

(pagan) festival and asked by his accusers: "What harm is there in saying 'Caesar is

Lord,' and offering incense and saving your life?". Replied Polycarp, who was burned at

the stake for his beliefs: "For eighty-six years I have been the servant [of Jesus Christ],

and he never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?".
http://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#paganhttp://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#paganhttp://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#pagan


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Roman Religious Climate6. Involved sacred places

As in nearly all times and cultures, in the Roman world, too, thepractice of religion was particularly associated with sacred

places. Though appeals to the gods might be made wherever

the need arose, it was usually thought that there was special

efficacy in approaching them in the temples, shrines and other

sacred places with which they were more directly associated.Sacrifice in particular was more often than not deemed more

appropriate in the sacred places, and in some cases sacrifice

was forbidden elsewhere.

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Roman Religious Climate7. Involved the use of images

Here again we see the strongly visual nature of the religiousenvironment of the Roman era. It was thought the most natural

thing to have and use images representing the gods as foci of

worship. It was simply unimaginable to reverence any figure as

divine without registering this reverence in fashioning and using

sacred images.Page 21


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Roman Religious Climate7. Involved the practice of rituals

It is hard to imagine the practice of religion without some formof rituals, actions invested with specially sacred significance and

particularly expressive of piety that become regularized for this

or that religious group or tradition. In the Roman era, as in

nearly all ancient religion, there was a rich variety of ritual actions

for various occasions and for various deities.

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Roman Religious Climate8. Included meals

Indeed, it appears that the god in whose honor the meal washeld was understood as present at the table participating in

some spiritual way in the meal, probably as its host or guest of

honor. In fact, in one surviving invitation, the god Sarapis

himself extends the invitation!"

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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiEarly Christian worship did not take

place in a religious vacuum. The Romanworld was chock-full of religiosity, with a

dizzying array of religious groups,

movements, customs, activities and

related paraphernalia. Earliest Christian

faith did not represent religiousness overagainst irreligious culture, but had to

enter the 'traffic' as a new movement on

a very crowded and well-traveled

highway of religious activity. This vibrant

and diverse religious environment of theRoman world is very significant for

understanding that world and for any

accurate appreciation of earliest

Christian worship.

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The Gospel Goes to Philippi1. The Gospel required exclusive allegiance to Christ alone.

2. The gatherings of Christ-followers were in homes . . .no fancytemples.

3. The Christians did not use images (looking at each other).

4. The Christians did not have impressive rituals.


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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiGiven this, it is all the more important to consider what may

have characterized earliest Christian worship, what was 'on offer'there so to speak, and how Christian worship was meaningful to

adherents. It is clear that, in spite of the rather severe and

unusual demand for an exclusive devotional commitment, the

early Christian movement succeeded in winning converts. We

cannot say that the worship of' Christian groups was in itself afactor in Christian evangelism, but to hold their converts,

Christian fellowship and the corporate religious life within that

fellowship had to be sufficiently meaningful and satisfying to

suffice for the range of religious activities they were expected to

forego.

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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiThe early gathering basically had the Scriptures, each other, and the

Spirit of the risen Jesus.


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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiActs 16:1-12 records a divinely orchestrated plan to get the Gospel

to Macedonia. This major redirecting of the Gospel to Macedoniarequired divine interaction and a vision to Paul. This echoes the

redirection of the Gospel to the Gentiles which also required divine

intervention (an angel) and a vision to Peter in Acts 10.

1. Paul, Silas, and Timothy wanted to head South . . . but were

forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia (Acts 16:6)

2. They then decide to head North . . . but the Spirit of Jesus did not

permit them to go into Bithynia (Acts 16:7)

3. Pauls dream at Troas leads them to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-12


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BITHYNIA

GALATIA

ASIA

MYSIA

Phrygia


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MYSIA


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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiWho made up the initial church at Philippi?

1. Lydia of Thyatira and her household (Acts 16:13-15)2. Possibly a slave girl (Acts 16:16-18)

3. A jailer and his household (Acts 16:19-34)


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Sow What?As we think about the culture of Philippi and our day, there are many

similarities. The Gospel will still put Christ-followers at odds with theeverything-goes mentality.

1. Lets strengthen our resolve to embrace the Gospels call to

exclusivity and truly make Jesus Lord of our lives..

As we think about how God orchestrated events to get the Gospel

to Macedonia we can see Gods love for lost people and the need

for His servants to listen and cooperate.

1. Lets be thinking about Gods heart for our city, community, and

personal relationships that involve lost people. Lets listen andcooperate with what God wants to do.


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Sow What?As we think about how simplistic the early church was in

comparison to the religious context of the day we see that theGospel lived out in the lives of Christ-followers is more powerful than

the most extravagant trimmings.

1. Lets purpose to live out the Gospel with each other and eagerly

pray that God will take our simplicity of devotion to him and each

other and powerfully see people drawn to Him.


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Session 2

Philippians S2_Web PDF

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