Philippians: Joy in Suffering ~ 20230423 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

04/23 Philippians; Joy in Suffering (Acts 16) ; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20230423_philippians-intro.mp3

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

We are going to launch today into a study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It will help us in understanding this letter to see it in its historical background and context. This was a real letter, correspondence, written from a real person, Paul, together with his co-worker Timothy, to a real church that was established through his missionary efforts, in a real city, the city of Philippi in Macedonia.

History of Philippi

Philippi was fortified by and named after Philip II of Macedon in 358-357 BC, the father of Alexander the Great, Alexander who conquered the Persians and advanced Greek culture throughout the known world. By 168 BC Rome had conquered Macedonia. In 42 BC, after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius on the plains near Philippi. Octavian defeated Mark Antony at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, and took for himself the title of Augustus. Thus Philippi was established as a Roman colony and enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizenship and exemption from many taxes.

Written From Prison

Paul says he was writing from prison. He mentions his imprisonment in 1:7, and he encourages them in 1:12-14 that his imprisonment has served to advance the gospel even among the guards in the Praetorium, that his imprisonment is for Christ, and that it has imparted boldness to the brothers. Paul doesn’t know if he will live or die, but he lists the advantages of either; he is confident that ‘to live is Christ, and to die is gain’ (1:21).

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem during Pentecost, 57 AD (Acts20:16), transported for his protection to Caesarea. After 2 years in prison there, he finally appealed to Caesar to protect himself from the plots of the Jews. They began the journey to Rome in the fall of AD 59, experiencing shipwreck on the journey, finally arriving in Rome in the spring of AD 60, as recorded in Acts 21-28. Luke’s record of the Acts of the Apostles ends with Paul in Rome:

Acts 28:30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Philippians is one of four letters that are considered Paul’s ‘prison epistles’, most likely written from Rome, around AD 60 – 62.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon all mention Paul’s imprisonment.

He refers to himself as a prisoner of or for Christ Jesus (Eph.3:1, Phm.1:1, 9) a prisoner for or in the Lord (Eph.4:1), an ambassador in chains (Eph.6:20). He says he is in prison on account of the word, declaring the mystery of Christ (Col.4:3), that he was imprisoned ‘for the gospel’ (Phm.1:13), and he asks his readers to ‘remember my chains’ (Col.4:18).

Paul was in Roman custody from the spring of 57 through somewhere around AD 62. But this was not his first experience with prison. Already in AD 55 / 56, Paul had written to the Corinthian church about his ‘far more imprisonments’ (2Cor.11:23). Later, probably during a second Roman imprisonment that will likely end in his death, he writes his second and final letter to Timothy, and although he is ‘bound with chains as a criminal’, suffering for the gospel, he exults ‘but the word of God is not bound!’ (2Tim.2:9)

Written From Joy for Joy

But it is not as if Paul is depressed, dejected, languishing away in prison. He recognizes that he is first of all a bond-slave of Jesus; he was bought with a price. He is a prisoner of Christ and for the gospel. So he seizes every opportunity he has been given to advance the gospel and encourage the believers. In Philemon, we learn of Onesimus, a runaway slave, ‘my child, ...whose father I became in my imprisonment’ (Phm.1:10). In Philippians we learn that through his imprisonment the gospel advanced throughout the whole praetorian guard (1:12-13), even those of Caesar’s household (4:22).

Philippians was written from captivity. But it is written from joy, and it is written for joy. Paul mentions joy and rejoicing some 16 times in these four short chapters. He prays for them with joy (1:4). He rejoices and will rejoice that Christ is preached, even if from wrong motives (1:18). He is confident that if he lives and is released, it will be for their joy in the faith (1:25). He invites them to fill up his joy by their humble unity (2:2). He encourages them to ‘do all things without grumbling or disputing (2:14) and even if his life is poured out like a drink offering, he will have joy and rejoice together with them all, and they ought also to have joy and rejoice together with him (2:17-18). he sends Epaphroditus back to them so that they would rejoice and receive him with joy, for he risked his life in service to Christ (2:28-29). He exhorts them to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ (3:1), and he calls them his joy (4:1). He exhorts them again to ‘rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice’ (4:4). He rejoices in the Lord greatly because of their care and concern for him (4:10).

Paul’s joy is not rooted in his circumstances, so it cannot be quenched by his circumstances. His joy is in the Lord. His joy is in a person who died for him and rose again, who will never die again. As he wrote to the Romans:

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prison can’t stop praying, chains cannot break koinonia – communion; the deep Christian bond of fellowship we have with one another, so he prays for them with joy and thanksgiving.

The threat of death is no damper to joy, because death for the believer means seeing Jesus face to face, and that is gain, far better, for in his presence is fullness of joy. To continue on here is joy in fruitful labor, in the advance of the gospel, and in the advance of your joy in the faith.

Example of Joy in Suffering (Acts 16:19-34)

The Philippians knew that this was no empty rhetoric, spiritual sounding talk with no substance. Paul had lived it out in front of them. Acts 16 tells the story of Paul’s arrival in Philippi.

After some successful evangelism in the city, Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl, which stirred up the anger of those who were profiting by her. Because they stood up for the helpless and defended the weak,

Acts 16:19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

This was the official welcome they received in Philippi. Accusations, without fair trial, stripped and beaten with rods, bruised and bloodied, thrown into prison, feet fastened in the stocks. How did they respond? It’s easy to say ‘rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice’ when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and all is right with the world. But how do you respond when treated unfairly, punished unjustly, when your progress and plans are interrupted, derailed? When darkness falls, and it seems the morning will never dawn?

Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

I wonder, what time were they beaten and thrown in prison? Did it take them until midnight to quit sulking and grumbling and get their hearts right and start praying and singing? Did they wait until everyone was asleep and decided ‘now lets make some noise and wake everybody up? I don’t think so. It seems they had learned from their Lord how to respond to unjust treatment. It seems they had already learned what Peter would later write:

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Acts 16:26 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. 27 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.

Supernaturally vindicated by God. Now how do you respond? Ha! Now you see! God himself has come to our defense and set us free. We’re outta here! And I hope you get what’s coming to you!

Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

I understand Paul and Silas stayed. But I do want to know, how did they persuade the other prisoners to stick around? Joy in the midst of suffering is compelling, attractive. These two had demonstrated they were truly free, even when beaten, thrown in prison and locked in the stocks. They demonstrated they had a greater purpose than their own personal life, liberty and the pursuit of their own happiness. Were the other prisoners willing to forego the opportunity for escape to find out more about this true freedom?

Acts 16:29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

They were prepared to give an answer for the hope in them. They were true opportunists; seizing every opportunity and turning it into a gospel opportunity. They were not polarized in their thinking; we are the good guys, and those are the bad guys. They understood, we are all the bad guys, and we have been given mercy and grace that we don’t deserve by the only One who is good. Now we have the privilege of extending that same mercy and grace that we were given to other bad guys so that they can experience the same transformation by which we have been transformed.

Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

The joy of the oppressed brought repentance, transformation, and joy to their oppressor. The jailer was set free by his prisoners. The joy of the sufferers became the joy of the jailer. In the middle of the night, they had church! The sufferer’s wounds were washed; the sins of the guilty one were washed away by Jesus. The one responsible for preventing their escape welcomed them in to his own home and extended them hospitality. They broke bread together, jailer and prisoner, Gentile and Jew, now brothers at the same table.

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2023.04.23 Sermon Notes

Philippians; Joy in Suffering

Paul’s imprisonment

AD 57 Arrest in Jerusalem; transfer to Caesarea (Acts 21-26)

AD 59 Journey to Rome (Acts 27-28)

AD 60-62 Imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28)

(Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon)

AD 64-67? Second Roman Imprisonment? (2 Timothy 2:9)

Prisoner of/for Christ Jesus Ephesians 3:1; Philemon 1:1, 9

Prisoner for/in the Lord Ephesians 4:1

Ambassador in chains Ephesians 6:20

Imprisoned for the gospel Colossians 4:3; Philemon 1:13

Remember my chains Colossians 4:18

The gospel advanced through imprisonment

Philemon 1:10; Philippians 1:12-13; 4:22

Philippians written from joy and for joy

Philippians 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17-18, 28-29; 3:1, 4:1, 4, 10

True joy rooted not in circumstances but in the Lord

Romans 8:35-39

An example of joy in suffering

Acts 16:19-34

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org