Philippians (background)
Paul ministered at Philippi during his second missionary journey, spending about three months in the city. The ministry at Philippi marked Paul’s entrance into Macedonia (first entry to Europe), which came about as a result of a vision he had in the city of Troas, just across the northeastern corner of the Aegean Sea from the port city of Neapolis and its close neighbor Philippi (Read Acts 16:8–12).
During this first stay in Philippi—he later briefly visited the city on his third missionary journey (Read Acts 20:6)—Paul brought to faith in Christ people who would form the core of the burgeoning congregation in the city. Among them were Lydia, a businesswoman who opened her home to Paul and his coworkers (Read 16:13–15), and the Philippian jailer, who was converted under Paul’s ministry after an earthquake miraculously broke open the prison (Read Acts 16:22–34).
Paul wrote Philippians while he was a prisoner in Rome. Paul’s imprisonment in Rome is verified by the book of Acts, where we find references to his being guarded by soldiers (Read Acts 28:16),
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Philippians Chapter 1.
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.
Keep NVCC in your minds
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Keep NVCC in your prayers
4Always 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:
Keep NVCC in your hearts
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.
