Paul’s Letter to Philippi
Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Philippians 1:1-8. This letter to the Philippians is from Paul and Timothy, who identify themselves as the bond servants of Jesus Christ. It is addressed to the saints, who are the Christians, deacons, and bishops, who were the leaders of the church at Philippi. Why was Paul writing a letter to the Philippians?
At this time Paul was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting his trial. This is referred to in: Acts 28:30-31: “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” Even though Paul was imprisoned he was still serving the Lord and doing God’s will for his life. It is thought to be about the year 61.
The church at Philippi was started during Paul’s second missionary journey, which is referred to in Acts 16. It was one of the first churches founded in Europe. The Philippians took care of Paul during his stay with them. They also supported him throughout his missionary journeys.
The Philippians sent Epaphroditus to Rome with an offering for Paul. This letter was returned to Philippi with Epaphroditus on his journey back home. The letter to the Philippians was written approximately eleven years after the church at Philippi was established.
Paul starts this letter the same as he does most of his letters saying, “Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul tells them that he thanks God for every remembrance of them. Paul says he prays for them in every prayer he prays with joy.
Paul was thankful for the fellowship he had with the Christians at Philippi from the first day he met them. I love Philippians 1:6 where Paul says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We too can be confident that the good work which Jesus Christ began in our lives, He will complete.
Paul tells them that he has them in his heart. God can witness his love for them. Have you ever had a Christian friend with whom you bonded with so much that, no matter how many years went by, when you saw them again it was like you never missed a day seeing them? Paul had a heart for the Philippians because of the great love they had shown him. The Philippians supported Paul’s ministry, therefore they shared in the grace God bestowed on Paul.
Daily Bible Reading:
Philippians 1:1-8
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
Things to think about:
- Are you a believer? If so, when did you become a Christian?
- How do you show that you are thankful for fellow believers?
- How much time do you spend with other believers?
- In what ways do you bond with other Christians?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You for this Scripture in the book of Philippians. We see Paul had a special bond with the Church at Philippi. The bond he had was because of their relationship with You. Paul started the Church at Philippi and the Philippians supported his ministry. We see that they loved one another in the Lord.
Help us to find fellow Christians who we can bond with to accomplish the work You have called us to do. Thank You for the fellow believers that you bring into our lives to support and encourage us. We ask all these things in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We love you, LORD. Amen.
Daily Bible Verse:
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
– Philippians 1:6
Featured Book:
The Book of Philippians: Paul’s Letter to Philippi is a Daily Bible Reading study of the book of Philippians by Deborah H. Bateman. The book of Philippians is from the New Testament of the Bible and is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters. In the book of Philippians Paul encourages the saints at Philippi to be strong in their faith, to stand fast in the Lord, and to be content in Christ.
Paul loved the Philippians and it shows in his writing to them. Paul knew that they loved him as well. The Philippians showed their love for Paul by supporting his ministry.
Paul would never forget the Philippians because of the way they cared for him when he ministered to them. They would always have a special place in his heart.
Paul wanted the best for the Philippians. He wanted to make sure they never let anybody steer them in the wrong direction. He wanted them to stay on course and do the things he had taught them whether he was with them or not.
The Book of Philippians: Paul’s Letter to Philippi contains ten Daily Bible Reading lessons. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, several questions for contemplation or discussion, and a prayer for the day to go along with the lesson. This is a great Bible study for individual daily devotions or for a group Bible study.
For those of you interested in Bible journaling, may I suggest you pick your favorite Bible verse from each lesson and journal about it. This will be a great reminder of the lessons you learn as you read and study this book.
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Have a blessed day,
Deborah
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