Tag: philippians

  • The Keeper of the Philippian Prison

    The Keeper of the Philippian Prison

    What is your experience as the keeper of something important?

    Have you ever been the one of importance kept safe in some place?

    (Were YOU ever the prisoner OR a jailer guard charged as the keeper a prisoner for justice?)

    Prison and Prisoners

    IF the only light you ever see seeped filtered though a hole in the ceiling of your cell WOULD YOU SING?

    (Likely, neither would I.)

    Roman prisons were nothing to sing about, but that didn’t stop Paul and Silas.

    S.O.P. – Prisons of Roman Cities & Colonies

    Imprisonment was not a sentence under Roman statutory law.. Incarceration (publica custodia) .. was intended to be a temporary measure prior to trial or execution; abuses of this principle occurred but were officially censured. Located near the law courts, the [prison (carcer) with a dungeon (oubliette)] was used as a jail or holding cell for short periods before executions and as a site for executions.

    Source: Wikipedia Commons

    Of course this Philippian carcer of the Roman colony is bound by the same same rules for jailer and prisoner alike according to Roman Law and the SOP manual of its occupying Legions of this Greek-speaking European colony of Macedonia.

    φυλακή – Strong’s translates G5438 in the following manner: prison (36x), watch (6x), imprisonment (2x), hold (1x), cage (1x), ward (1x).

    Paul and Silas end up in the ‘temporary’ place near the agora and forum where they have already been punished severely by flogging under the jurisdiction of a Roman Magistrate for unspecified crimes against culture and misdemeanors for which they will most likely be run out of town rather than executed.

    Therefore, this evening they have been placed into the care of a prison keeper (jailer) in Philippi for final disposition of their case in the morning.


    Previously:

    ACTS 16: 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

    .. they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

    Who is this Philippian keeper of prisoners for Magistrates of the Court?

    φυλάσσω –

    Strong’s G5442 – phylassō, Probably from φυλή (G5443) through the idea of isolation

    NOTE, however the same responsibility of the Roman 'keeper' of prisoners AND the jailer's two Roman prisoners, apostles sent out with the message of the Jerusalem Council to communicate interpretation of the LAW for these Gentiles as well as the few Jews of Philippi. 

    to guard

    • to watch, keep watch
    • to guard or watch, have an eye upon: lest he escape
    • to guard a person (or thing) that he may remain safe
    • to guard i.e. care for, take care not to violate
      • to observe
    • to observe for one’s self something to escape
      • to avoid, shun flee from
      • to guard for one’s self (i.e. for one’s safety’s sake) so as not to violate, i.e. to keep, observe (the precepts of the Mosaic law

    Source: BlueLetterBible.org

    And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

    ACTS of the Apostles 16:4 KJV – Mission of Paul, Silas and Timothy

    Scenario of a night in the Jail of Philippi

    A guard of the second watch [9 pm] comes on duty and shouts down to you in the hole and other prisoners in cells near you, “Lights out!” He then extinguishes the candle above expecting all to go to sleep.

    Unlike the other prisoners YOU and your brother have been locked in here with wooden stocks bound to your ankles and chained to the floor of your cell.

    What now?

    We prayed for a while. Out loud. In fact, we recited much scripture as we prayed. Other prisoners complained to us, but after no intervention from the keeper assigned to this second watch they had no choice but to sleep (or just ignore us).

    A little later we hear sounds through the darkness of the third watch [midnight-3 am] keeper coming on duty.

    Silas starts singing and Paul joins his voice to the familiar Psalm:

    Acts of Awesome Faith

    As we continue with the Acts of Paul, Silas and Timothy in Philippi put yourself in their place — an uncertain and unpleasant prison of the moment. Hear the cries of each soul cast into the trembling darkness — the fear of God resounding in each heart.

    What Psalm? (For they knew so many from faithful worship.) 
    
    YOU may find other PSALMS on TalkofJESUS.com which will encourage you in such dark circumstances: https://talkofjesus.com/shaken/ 
    
    Perhaps this: The LORD is My Salvation from Psalm 27:13 OR

    Psalm 142 – You Are My Refuge

    A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

    With my voice I cry out to the LORD;
    with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
    I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.
    
    When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
    In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
    Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
    no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.
    
    I cry to you, O LORD;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
    Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
    Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
    Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
    The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.
    

    Suppose that you are another prisoner listening to the apostles sing..

    And then, something happens!

    Acts of Paulos and Silas

    δικαίωμα Παῦλος δέ Σιλᾶς

    Acts of the Apostles Missions trips of Paul, Barnabas, Silas and several others

    About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.

    And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

    When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice,

    “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

    29 And [he] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.


    “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all,” Paul will write a decade later to the church in Philippi from a prison in Rome.

    Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
    And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

    ACTS of the apostles 16:30-31 ESV – Keeper of the Philippian jail to Paul & Silas, followed by the apostles’ answer.

    Acts of the Apostles 16 – To Be Continued in the light of a new day in Philippi


  • Good Works – a letter from Peter – 3

    Good Works – a letter from Peter – 3

    What do our good works have to do with faith?

    Peter opens his letter to a persecuted church concerning this salvation with blessings.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

    The Apostle calls us to holy living and then continues by defining it.

    1 Peter 2:

    Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

    Peter asks new Christians to ‘desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.‘ He then continues by contrasting Christ, as the Living Stone of the Temple, to those who reject Jesus as a stone over which they stumble because they disobey God.

    This brings Peter to call upon all Christians to do good works now that we are no longer part of worldly unbelievers destined to destruction.

    Good Works

    1 Peter 2:11-

    11 [YLT] Beloved, I call upon [you], as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul…

    Where do you stand with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, asks Peter?

    • Are you now a stranger to the worldly and sojourner through this mortal life?
    • Or do you cling to those same fleshly desires which always drag our flesh into sin and our souls into judgement?

    Live honorably among unbelievers

    12 [CEB] Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil.

    Young’s Literal Translation speaks of ‘having your behaviour among the nations right’ and the NASB states: ‘Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.’

    Believers know God and true followers of the Way of Christ Jesus have received the Holy Spirit through His grace. We must live differently, Peter urges us. And he also gives a reason for good works through our honorable witness to those who do not yet believe.

    Though unbelievers accuse us as if we are doing evil (which, of course, they commit as well), they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’ [NIV]

    How do others recognize Christ through our good works?

    In a word, subjugation; Christians submit to authority for our Lord’s sake.

    Submit yourselves

    I can tell you right now that you are not going to like this next part… because I don’t. I resist it and want to talk about freedom and grace instead.

    Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

    1 Peter 2:13 CSB

    You may say, “Emperor? That doesn’t apply to me.” But other versions use the example of ‘every human authority’ as ‘the king.’ And note that governors are sent out to praise those who do good, but to punish those who do evil.

    The sword of scripture gets even sharper by our examination of other versions.

    Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme1 Peter 2:13 KJV

    “Every ordinance of man?”

    A King, County Commissioner, Mayor… President of either political party? Ordinance, as in every Law passed by Congress or Parliament? I don’t like it one bit.

    The one in authority.

    Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    Philippians 2:3-4 NASB

    “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” Paul writes to the church in Philippians 2:5.

    Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake.

    It’s hard for us to act like Jesus. His humility is not the first thing that comes to mind in our witness of His benefits to us. Paul give us the reason in his letter to the Romans:

    “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” – Romans 8:7

    We do not want to submit to anyone, yet because of our faith must do so ‘because of the Lord.’

    1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

    Slaves

    There’s another word we don’t like. (Not very politically correct either.) -Slaves! Submit as God’s slaves.

    Shall we water it down or dilute scripture’s meaning?

    Some English translations call on us to become ‘bondservants’ of God and others simplify it with the word ‘servant.’

    Maybe that’s a little better, like a butler, gardener, waitress or food delivery person at your door. I might occasionally take on the role as a servant of God with minimal complaint. The actual Greek word is δοῦλος doulos.

    • a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
      • (of the Lord, maybe, but not likely to other men)
    • metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
      • How can I do that?
    • devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
      • This is Peter’s meaning for Christ’s servants.

    Honor by Christian Servants

    I could mention names here, causing dissension between the believers, but honor in our public witness by ‘christians’ frequently falls far short. I’ll just ask you (and myself), “Do you honor those Peter lists as a bondservant of God?

    Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor.

    1 Peter 2:17 Common English Bible

    Honor everyone? I cannot keep words that do not honor some from my witness to unbelievers.

    Love everyone in our church? Is Peter serious? We are a bunch of sinners! And as Paul once suggested I can claim, ‘of whom I am the worst.’ The good works of Grace between Christians can be our most challenging witness. I have already mentioned that ‘the emperor could be the king, president or other most powerful government leader. Examine your own witness.

    Please note that Peter points to everyone or the world first. Then he narrows into our relational connection to others in the church. Peter reminds us to fear God. (Look it up.) And lastly, in essence, honor civil leaders responsible for the good works of our society at all level.

    Good Works of Christ’s Good Servants

    Next Peter will outline the reasons for us to serve from our various stations of this life in the flesh, a moral life of good works serving others. These include: masters and slaves, husbands and wives.

    Will you witness Christ when persecuted?

    Do your good works glorify God?

    To be continued...

  • To Die is Gain

    To Die is Gain

    Philippians 1:

    To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain

    Christians have heard it, perhaps even others:

    [ctt title=”Phil.1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ” tweet=”Philippians 1:21 ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ Who in the 21st c. church longs to be with the Lord rather than gain in this life?” coverup=”81X1L”]

    What a strange sound to our contemporary hearing that a follower of Christ would prefer to die, rather than live as long as we can in this life. Why would the Apostle Paul say such a thing?

    Paul further explains: 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

    OK, that’s more like it. We hope those in our church will do some fruitful labor, but Paul continues:

    Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

    Paul seems rather conflicted in wanting to die to be with Jesus Christ, even as he tells of his desire to be with those of the church in Philippi “for your progress and joy in the faith.” [v.25b]

    Like any letter we cannot just take the words of the writer (or writers, in this case) as literal advice to you and me without considering the context and background as well as the reason to write to those who first read it. The people of the church a Philippi were the very reason Paul and Timothy wrote this letter. In fact, Paul had much in common with these saints of this local church.

    Dear church family in Philippi Macedonia,

    Or in a 21st letter that is what we might have said. The letter, however, begins:

    To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers (meaning bishops) and deacons:

    2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

    The Greek words for overseer, where superintendent could also be used, and deacon, which indicates the ones who follow the commands of the appointed one in charge have a deep relational and much-lost meaning to the church. The description of the senders, however, reveals an even more-convicting humility, for Paul and Timothy refer to themselves as “doulos,” that is, “slaves” or servants.

    Although you or I would end a letter with our signature, Paul and Timothy, as was the custom of the day, begin with their signature as identification to all of the senders at first hearing of the public reading of their letter:

    Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

    Paulos kai Timotheos doulos  Iēsous  Christos

    Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ

    Servant Leadership

    Without taking time here to further develop a central theme which must typify followers of Jesus, the Christ of God and King over all creation and souls; please note Paul’s characteristically loving concept best demonstrated by Christ our Lord, that to lead others means to serve others.

    What must Paul do before he dies? Even though Paul longs to be with the Lord Jesus, he concedes, “to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”

    Paul and Timothy are slaves of the King, Christ Jesus. The Superintendents of the churches to whom they write are also expected to be humble servants of those they lead. Elders and Deacons must have expected obedience to the righteous decrees of the King, that is, Jesus. And the saints (small, ‘s‘) are obedient followers of church leaders, because we desire to obey the King, that is, we want to follow Jesus.

    A Background in Common

    Returning to Philippi, a complete reading of this letter from the slaves of Jesus Christ, Paul and Timothy, is much more than just instruction to a church; it is a much hoped for love letter from a dear one in a far away place.

    Don’t you have a dear one in a far away place? I do.

    [ctt title=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” tweet=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” coverup=”t1zeE”]

    Here Paul and Timothy have reached out by messenger to the saints they love, even those with whom they share Christ Jesus, and so much more in common.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…

    7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

    8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.


    “Would you die for Christ?

    [ctt title=”Would you live to serve the saints of Christ\’s church? ” tweet=”Would you die for Christ? Would you live to serve the saints of Christ’s church? – For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Phil 1:21″ coverup=”Sd5ao”]

    Paul and Timothy and the early saints of the church did. Peter and John and the Apostles did. Stephen and James the brother of Jesus and the first century martyrs did. These all lived for Christ to serve others. These saints of the church, our beloved company of believers, died first to self to serve Jesus as Lord.

    For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

     

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