Filipeni 4
1 De aceea, prea iubiţii şi mult doriţii mei fraţi, bucuria şi cununa mea, rămâneţi astfel tari în Domnul, prea iubiţilor!
2 Îndemn pe Evodia şi îndemn pe Sintichia să fie cu un gând în Domnul.
3 Şi pe tine, adevărat tovarăş de jug, te rog să vii în ajutorul femeilor acestora, cari au lucrat împreună cu mine pentru Evanghelie, cu Clement şi cu ceilalţi tovarăşi de lucru ai mei, ale căror nume sânt scrise în cartea vieţii.
4 Bucuraţi-vă totdeauna în Domnul! Iarăş zic: Bucuraţi-vă!
5 Blândeţa voastră să fie cunoscută de toţi oamenii. Domnul este aproape.
6 Nu vă îngrijoraţi de nimic; ci în orice lucru, aduceţi cererile voastre la cunoştinţa lui Dumnezeu, prin rugăciuni şi cereri, cu mulţămiri.
7 Şi pacea lui Dumnezeu, care întrece orice pricepere, vă va păzi inimile şi gândurile în Hristos Isus.
8 Încolo, fraţii mei, tot ce este adevărat, tot ce este vrednic de cinste, tot ce este drept, tot ce este curat, tot ce este vrednic de iubit, tot ce este vrednic de primit, orice faptă bună, şi orice laudă, aceea să vă însufleţească.
9 Ce aţi învăţat, ce aţi primit şi auzit dela mine, şi ce aţi văzut în mine, faceţi. Şi Dumnezeul păcii va fi cu voi.
10 Am avut o mare bucurie în Domnul, că, însfârşit, aţi putut să vă înoiţi iarăş simţimintele voastre faţă de mine. Vă gândeaţi voi la aşa ceva, dar vă lipsea prilejul.
11 Nu zic lucrul acesta având în vedere nevoile mele; căci m-am deprins să fiu mulţămit cu starea în care mă găsesc.
12 Ştiu să trăiesc smerit, şi ştiu să trăiesc în belşug. În totul şi pretutindeni m-am deprins să fiu sătul şi flămând, să fiu în belşug şi să fiu în lipsă.
13 Pot totul în Hristos, care mă întăreşte.
14 Dar bine aţi făcut că aţi luat parte la strâmtorarea mea.
15 Ştiţi voi înşivă, Filipenilor, că, la începutul Evangheliei, când am plecat din Macedonia, nicio Biserică n-a avut legătură cu mine în ce priveşte ,,darea`` şi ,,primirea`` afară de voi.
16 Căci mi-aţi trimes în Tesalonic, odată, şi chiar de două ori, ceva pentru nevoile mele.
17 Nu că umblu după daruri. Dimpotrivă, umblu după cîştigul care prisoseşte în folosul vostru.
18 Am de toate, şi sânt în belşug. Sânt bogat, de când am primit prin Epafrodit ce mi-aţi trimes, -un miros de bună mireasmă, o jertfă bine primită şi plăcută lui Dumnezeu.
19 Şi Dumnezeul meu să îngrijească de toate trebuinţele voastre, după bogăţia Sa, în slavă, în Isus Hristos.
20 A lui Dumnezeu şi Tatăl nostru să fie slava în vecii vecilor! Amin.
21 Spuneţi sănătate fiecărui sfânt în Hristos Isus. Fraţii, cari sânt cu mine, vă trimet sănătate.
22 Toţi sfinţii vă trimet sănătate, mai ales cei din casa Cezarului.
23 Harul Domnului Isus Hristos să fie cu voi cu toţi! Amin
{"verseMap":{"1":[{"id":8176,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Crown","title_en":"Crown","content_ro":"<h3>CROWN<\/h3>\n<p>Headpiece symbolizing honor or high office. In addition to using the word metaphorically, the OT refers to three kinds of crowns. One type of crown was worn by the high priest and Hebrew kings. The high priest’s “holy crown” was a gold plate engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” fastened to the front of a turban (Ex 29:6; 39:30). It symbolized his consecration as the people’s representative before God. The Hebrew kings wore a crown light enough to be worn into battle (2 Sm 1:10)—perhaps a narrow band of silk studded with jewels. Like the high priest’s, the king’s crown also indicated a divinely appointed office (2 Kgs 11:12; Pss 89:39; 132:18). A second type of crown was a massive gold and jeweled symbol of office worn by pagan kings and idols (2 Sm 12:30; Est 1:11). The prophet Zechariah placed such a crown on Joshua the high priest to indicate the union of royal and priestly functions (Zec 6:11, 14). A third type of crown was a wreath of flowers used at a banquet to symbolize joy and celebration (Sg 3:11; Is 28:1; Wisd of Sol 2:8).<\/p>\n<p>The word “crown” is used metaphorically to indicate rule or royalty (Na 3:17, <span>kjv<\/span>), glory or honor (Jb 19:9; Ps 8:5; Ez 16:12), joy (Ez 23:42), or pride (Jb 31:36; Is 28:3).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT the most common word for “crown” means a laurel wreath worn at banquets or a prize given as a civic or military honor. The apostle Paul alluded to its use as an athletic prize when he urged Christians to be disciplined in striving for a “crown” that would not wither (1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tm 2:5). Paul regarded his converts as his “joy and crown” (Phil 4:1; 1 Thes 2:19).<\/p>\n<p>A victor’s wreath symbolizes the eternal life inherited by Christians who have persevered (Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4; Rv 2:10; 3:11). In the book of Revelation the victories of the locusts (9:7), the woman (12:1), and Christ (6:2; 14:14) are symbolized by laurel crowns. A different Greek word, meaning a royal crown, is used for the diadems on the heads of the dragon (12:3), the beast from the sea (13:1), and Christ (19:12).<\/p>\n<p>Jesus’ crown of thorns was a circlet formed from a prickly shrub—an ironic parody of a victor’s wreath (Mk 15:17-18). Its combination with the robe, scepter (Mt 27:27-29), and satirical inscription on the cross that Jesus was “the King of the Jews” (Mk 15:26), were all meant to mock him as a defeated messianic aspirant.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>CROWN<\/h3>\n<p>Headpiece symbolizing honor or high office. In addition to using the word metaphorically, the OT refers to three kinds of crowns. One type of crown was worn by the high priest and Hebrew kings. The high priest’s “holy crown” was a gold plate engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” fastened to the front of a turban (Ex 29:6; 39:30). It symbolized his consecration as the people’s representative before God. The Hebrew kings wore a crown light enough to be worn into battle (2 Sm 1:10)—perhaps a narrow band of silk studded with jewels. Like the high priest’s, the king’s crown also indicated a divinely appointed office (2 Kgs 11:12; Pss 89:39; 132:18). A second type of crown was a massive gold and jeweled symbol of office worn by pagan kings and idols (2 Sm 12:30; Est 1:11). The prophet Zechariah placed such a crown on Joshua the high priest to indicate the union of royal and priestly functions (Zec 6:11, 14). A third type of crown was a wreath of flowers used at a banquet to symbolize joy and celebration (Sg 3:11; Is 28:1; Wisd of Sol 2:8).<\/p>\n<p>The word “crown” is used metaphorically to indicate rule or royalty (Na 3:17, <span>kjv<\/span>), glory or honor (Jb 19:9; Ps 8:5; Ez 16:12), joy (Ez 23:42), or pride (Jb 31:36; Is 28:3).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT the most common word for “crown” means a laurel wreath worn at banquets or a prize given as a civic or military honor. The apostle Paul alluded to its use as an athletic prize when he urged Christians to be disciplined in striving for a “crown” that would not wither (1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tm 2:5). Paul regarded his converts as his “joy and crown” (Phil 4:1; 1 Thes 2:19).<\/p>\n<p>A victor’s wreath symbolizes the eternal life inherited by Christians who have persevered (Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4; Rv 2:10; 3:11). In the book of Revelation the victories of the locusts (9:7), the woman (12:1), and Christ (6:2; 14:14) are symbolized by laurel crowns. A different Greek word, meaning a royal crown, is used for the diadems on the heads of the dragon (12:3), the beast from the sea (13:1), and Christ (19:12).<\/p>\n<p>Jesus’ crown of thorns was a circlet formed from a prickly shrub—an ironic parody of a victor’s wreath (Mk 15:17-18). Its combination with the robe, scepter (Mt 27:27-29), and satirical inscription on the cross that Jesus was “the King of the Jews” (Mk 15:26), were all meant to mock him as a defeated messianic aspirant.<\/p>","summary_ro":"CROWN Headpiece symbolizing honor or high office. In addition to using the word metaphorically, the OT refers to three kinds of crowns. One type of crown was worn by the high priest and Hebrew kings. The high priest’s “holy crown” was a gold plate engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” fastened to the front of a turban (Ex 29:6; 39:30). It symbolized his consecration as the people’s representative before God. The Hebrew kings wore a crown light enough to be worn into battle (2 Sm 1:10)—pe...","summary_en":"CROWN Headpiece symbolizing honor or high office. In addition to using the word metaphorically, the OT refers to three kinds of crowns. One type of crown was worn by the high priest and Hebrew kings. The high priest’s “holy crown” was a gold plate engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” fastened to the front of a turban (Ex 29:6; 39:30). It symbolized his consecration as the people’s representative before God. The Hebrew kings wore a crown light enough to be worn into battle (2 Sm 1:10)—pe...","source":"Articles\/C.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30243,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58277,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:1","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","summary_en":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85903,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:1","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","summary_en":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113529,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:1","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","summary_en":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141155,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:1","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:1<\/strong> <em>stay true to the Lord<\/em> (literally <em>stand in the Lord<\/em>): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of <em>joy<\/em> to Paul and the <em>crown<\/em> for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","summary_en":"4:1 stay true to the Lord (literally stand in the Lord): Cp. 1:27. • Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work (see 1 Thes 2:19-20).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":66031,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Remaining in Christ","title_en":"Remaining in Christ","content_ro":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","summary_en":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":93657,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Remaining in Christ","title_en":"Remaining in Christ","content_ro":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","summary_en":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":121283,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Remaining in Christ","title_en":"Remaining in Christ","content_ro":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","summary_en":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":148909,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Remaining in Christ","title_en":"Remaining in Christ","content_ro":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Remaining in Christ<\/h3>\n<p>The Greek term <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō<\/span><em>,<\/em> often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">menō en,<\/span> ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when we remain in Christ, the Son is in us and we are in the Father and the Son (17:21-23). Both the Father and the Son come and make their home within disciples.<\/p>\n<p>This mutual indwelling is precisely what it means that the disciple remains in Christ. We cannot gain the permanence of our relationship by our own effort; this relationship is only made permanent by the gracious initiative of God indwelling our lives through his Spirit. This means commitment on the part of both God and the disciple. The mutual indwelling between God and the believer is not a fleeting or temporary commitment, but an enduring, permanent, and eternal relationship (see 1 Jn 2:14, 17).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exod 33:11; 34:28; Josh 7:11-12; 1 Sam 16:22; Pss 22:11, 19; 101:7; Dan 1:21; 2:49; Hag 2:5; Luke 15:31; 22:28; John 6:56; 8:31; 15:1-17; Phil 4:1; 1 Jn 2:19, 27-28; 3:24; 2 Jn 1:9; Rev 2:10; 13:10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","summary_en":"Remaining in Christ The Greek term menō, often translated “remain,” “stay,” or “abide,” occurs frequently in relation to Jesus’ descriptions of profound, intimate, and enduring relationships. For example, Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to [menō en, ‘stay in’] my teachings” (John 8:31). The idea is that a disciple’s life is fully formed by Jesus’ word. Jesus also described how the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son (John 14:10-11). Likewise, when ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"2":[{"id":42755,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":70381,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":98007,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":125633,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":11288,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Euodia, Euodias*","title_en":"Euodia, Euodias*","content_ro":"<h3>EUODIA, EUODIAS*<\/h3>\n<p>Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EUODIA, EUODIAS*<\/h3>\n<p>Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"EUODIA, EUODIAS* Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).","summary_en":"EUODIA, EUODIAS* Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30253,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":36543,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Syntyche","title_en":"Syntyche","content_ro":"<h3>SYNTYCHE<\/h3>\n<p>Woman encouraged by Paul to reconcile her differences with Euodia. Syntyche worked with Paul in proclaiming the gospel and evidently held a position of leadership in the Philippian church (Phil 4:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>SYNTYCHE<\/h3>\n<p>Woman encouraged by Paul to reconcile her differences with Euodia. Syntyche worked with Paul in proclaiming the gospel and evidently held a position of leadership in the Philippian church (Phil 4:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"SYNTYCHE Woman encouraged by Paul to reconcile her differences with Euodia. Syntyche worked with Paul in proclaiming the gospel and evidently held a position of leadership in the Philippian church (Phil 4:2).","summary_en":"SYNTYCHE Woman encouraged by Paul to reconcile her differences with Euodia. Syntyche worked with Paul in proclaiming the gospel and evidently held a position of leadership in the Philippian church (Phil 4:2).","source":"Articles\/S.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58278,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","summary_en":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58279,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","summary_en":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85904,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","summary_en":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85905,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","summary_en":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113530,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","summary_en":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113531,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","summary_en":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141156,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2-9<\/strong> Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","summary_en":"4:2-9 Before closing, Paul addresses a small conflict in the church and writes a few words of encouragement.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141157,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:2","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:2<\/strong> <em>because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement:<\/em> The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between <em>Euodia and Syntyche<\/em> is unknown.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","summary_en":"4:2 because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement: The Lord’s people are to live together in harmony (see 2:2; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:1-3, 31-32; Col 3:12-15). The nature of the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche is unknown.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"3":[{"id":5514,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Life","title_en":"Book of Life","content_ro":"<h3>BOOK OF LIFE<\/h3>\n<p>Term used to refer to a heavenly record. The phrase appears seven times in the NT: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. The Christian understanding of the phrase, however, is rooted in the OT. Passages such as Exodus 32:32; Psalm 87:6; Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 imply or affirm a record kept by God. God is seen as keeping account of his people’s faithfulness and disobedience—and possibly that of other nations as well (e.g., Ps 87:6). Psalm 69:28 uses the phrase “book of the living”; parallel poetic lines refer to physical living.<\/p>\n<p>In Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 references are linked with descriptions of final judgment and events of the end times. Names and deeds from the divine records are evidence set before a judge. Luke 10:20 and Hebrews 12:23 reflect similar thought; no concrete mention of a “book” is made but a heavenly record is assumed. In Philippians 4:3 Paul uses “Book of Life” to encourage his fellow workers in a lively hope for the future.<\/p>\n<p>“Book of Life” in the book of Revelation refers to a heavenly record with the names of persecuted Christians who remain faithful. It is used first in the letter to Sardis (3:5) where the risen Lord, identified as “the Lamb” is keeper of the book (13:8; 21:7). If a person’s name is found in the book, admittance is granted to new Jerusalem (20:15; 21:27). If one’s name is not written there, the judgment is final destruction. Absolute confidence in God’s care for his own is affirmed by the words “written before the foundation of the world” (13:8; 17:8).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Book of Remembrance.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BOOK OF LIFE<\/h3>\n<p>Term used to refer to a heavenly record. The phrase appears seven times in the NT: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. The Christian understanding of the phrase, however, is rooted in the OT. Passages such as Exodus 32:32; Psalm 87:6; Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 imply or affirm a record kept by God. God is seen as keeping account of his people’s faithfulness and disobedience—and possibly that of other nations as well (e.g., Ps 87:6). Psalm 69:28 uses the phrase “book of the living”; parallel poetic lines refer to physical living.<\/p>\n<p>In Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 references are linked with descriptions of final judgment and events of the end times. Names and deeds from the divine records are evidence set before a judge. Luke 10:20 and Hebrews 12:23 reflect similar thought; no concrete mention of a “book” is made but a heavenly record is assumed. In Philippians 4:3 Paul uses “Book of Life” to encourage his fellow workers in a lively hope for the future.<\/p>\n<p>“Book of Life” in the book of Revelation refers to a heavenly record with the names of persecuted Christians who remain faithful. It is used first in the letter to Sardis (3:5) where the risen Lord, identified as “the Lamb” is keeper of the book (13:8; 21:7). If a person’s name is found in the book, admittance is granted to new Jerusalem (20:15; 21:27). If one’s name is not written there, the judgment is final destruction. Absolute confidence in God’s care for his own is affirmed by the words “written before the foundation of the world” (13:8; 17:8).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Book of Remembrance.<\/p>","summary_ro":"BOOK OF LIFE Term used to refer to a heavenly record. The phrase appears seven times in the NT: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. The Christian understanding of the phrase, however, is rooted in the OT. Passages such as Exodus 32:32; Psalm 87:6; Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 imply or affirm a record kept by God. God is seen as keeping account of his people’s faithfulness and disobedience—and possibly that of other nations as well (e.g., Ps 87:6). Psalm 69:28...","summary_en":"BOOK OF LIFE Term used to refer to a heavenly record. The phrase appears seven times in the NT: Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. The Christian understanding of the phrase, however, is rooted in the OT. Passages such as Exodus 32:32; Psalm 87:6; Daniel 7:10; 12:1; and Malachi 3:16 imply or affirm a record kept by God. God is seen as keeping account of his people’s faithfulness and disobedience—and possibly that of other nations as well (e.g., Ps 87:6). Psalm 69:28...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":6893,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Clement","title_en":"Clement","content_ro":"<h3>CLEMENT<\/h3>\n<p>Coworker with Paul at Philippi who worked side by side with him in the furtherance of the gospel there (Phil 4:3). Paul includes him in the group of those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Even though some early church fathers identified this Clement with the third bishop of Rome, there is no evidence to substantiate their claims.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>CLEMENT<\/h3>\n<p>Coworker with Paul at Philippi who worked side by side with him in the furtherance of the gospel there (Phil 4:3). Paul includes him in the group of those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Even though some early church fathers identified this Clement with the third bishop of Rome, there is no evidence to substantiate their claims.<\/p>","summary_ro":"CLEMENT Coworker with Paul at Philippi who worked side by side with him in the furtherance of the gospel there (Phil 4:3). Paul includes him in the group of those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Even though some early church fathers identified this Clement with the third bishop of Rome, there is no evidence to substantiate their claims.","summary_en":"CLEMENT Coworker with Paul at Philippi who worked side by side with him in the furtherance of the gospel there (Phil 4:3). Paul includes him in the group of those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Even though some early church fathers identified this Clement with the third bishop of Rome, there is no evidence to substantiate their claims.","source":"Articles\/C.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":11289,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Euodia, Euodias*","title_en":"Euodia, Euodias*","content_ro":"<h3>EUODIA, EUODIAS*<\/h3>\n<p>Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EUODIA, EUODIAS*<\/h3>\n<p>Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"EUODIA, EUODIAS* Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).","summary_en":"EUODIA, EUODIAS* Prominent woman in the Philippian church whom Paul asked to resolve her differences with Syntyche (Phil 4:2). The nature of their disagreement is not known, but it was of enough severity to reach Paul in Rome. Both women had labored with him in the work of the gospel (4:3).","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30256,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58280,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:3","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","summary_en":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85906,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:3","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","summary_en":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113532,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:3","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","summary_en":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141158,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:3","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:3<\/strong> <em>my true partner<\/em> or <em>loyal Syzygus<\/em>: The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">suzuge<\/span> is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of <em>Clement<\/em>. • Those <em>whose names are written in the Book of Life<\/em> are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","summary_en":"4:3 my true partner or loyal Syzygus: The Greek word suzuge is either a proper name or a description; this person is unknown. • Nothing more is known of Clement. • Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are true believers, destined to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:20; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cp. Exod 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"4":[{"id":20937,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Joy","title_en":"Joy","content_ro":"<h3>JOY<\/h3>\n<p>Positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. The Bible uses “joy” in both senses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"JoyasaFeeling\">Joy as a Feeling<\/p>\n<p>Joy is a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences it because of certain favorable circumstances. It cannot be commanded.<\/p>\n<p>The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (Mt 18:13). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (Lk 13:17). The disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing after Jesus’ ascension (24:52). Joy was also the feeling of the church at Antioch when its members heard the Jerusalem Council’s decision that they did not have to be circumcised to keep God’s law (Acts 15:31). Paul mentioned his joy in hearing about the obedience of the Roman Christians (Rom 16:19). He wrote to the Corinthians that love does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the right (1 Cor 13:6; see also 1 Sm 2:1; 11:9; 18:6; 2 Sm 6:12; 1 Kgs 1:40; Est 9:17-22).<\/p>\n<p>Psalms 137:1-6 shows that the emotion cannot be commanded. The Jews’ captors wanted them to sing in the land of their exile, something they were unable to do. Faraway Jerusalem was their chief joy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"JoyasanAction\">Joy as an Action<\/p>\n<p>There is a joy that Scripture commands. That joy is action that can be engaged in regardless of how the person feels. Proverbs 5:18 tells the reader to rejoice in the wife of his youth, without reference to what she may be like. Christ instructed his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, reviled, and slandered (Mt 5:11-12). The apostle Paul commanded continuous rejoicing (Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). James said Christians are to reckon it all joy when they fall into various testings because such testings produce endurance (Jas 1:2). Joy in adverse circumstances is possible only as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is present in every Christian (Gal 5:22).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>JOY<\/h3>\n<p>Positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. The Bible uses “joy” in both senses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"JoyasaFeeling\">Joy as a Feeling<\/p>\n<p>Joy is a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences it because of certain favorable circumstances. It cannot be commanded.<\/p>\n<p>The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (Mt 18:13). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (Lk 13:17). The disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing after Jesus’ ascension (24:52). Joy was also the feeling of the church at Antioch when its members heard the Jerusalem Council’s decision that they did not have to be circumcised to keep God’s law (Acts 15:31). Paul mentioned his joy in hearing about the obedience of the Roman Christians (Rom 16:19). He wrote to the Corinthians that love does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the right (1 Cor 13:6; see also 1 Sm 2:1; 11:9; 18:6; 2 Sm 6:12; 1 Kgs 1:40; Est 9:17-22).<\/p>\n<p>Psalms 137:1-6 shows that the emotion cannot be commanded. The Jews’ captors wanted them to sing in the land of their exile, something they were unable to do. Faraway Jerusalem was their chief joy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"JoyasanAction\">Joy as an Action<\/p>\n<p>There is a joy that Scripture commands. That joy is action that can be engaged in regardless of how the person feels. Proverbs 5:18 tells the reader to rejoice in the wife of his youth, without reference to what she may be like. Christ instructed his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, reviled, and slandered (Mt 5:11-12). The apostle Paul commanded continuous rejoicing (Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). James said Christians are to reckon it all joy when they fall into various testings because such testings produce endurance (Jas 1:2). Joy in adverse circumstances is possible only as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is present in every Christian (Gal 5:22).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>","summary_ro":"JOY Positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. The Bible uses “joy” in both senses. Joy as a Feeling Joy is a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences it because of certain favorable circumstances. It cannot be commanded. The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (Mt 18:13). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (Lk 13:17). The disciples returned to Je...","summary_en":"JOY Positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. The Bible uses “joy” in both senses. Joy as a Feeling Joy is a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences it because of certain favorable circumstances. It cannot be commanded. The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (Mt 18:13). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (Lk 13:17). The disciples returned to Je...","source":"Articles\/J.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30257,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58281,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","summary_en":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58282,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","summary_en":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85907,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","summary_en":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85908,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","summary_en":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113533,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","summary_en":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113534,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","summary_en":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141159,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4-6<\/strong> <em>rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him:<\/em> Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","summary_en":"4:4-6 rejoice! . . . pray . . . thank him: Cp. 1 Thes 5:16-18; both passages are addressed to persecuted churches; see also Rom 12:12.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141160,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:4","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:4<\/strong> In Paul’s letters, <em>joy<\/em> and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy <em>in the Lord<\/em> even in the midst of suffering. • <em>rejoice!<\/em> See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","summary_en":"4:4 In Paul’s letters, joy and rejoicing are a response to the Good News (see Eph 5:19-20). Joy is not dependent on circumstances; believers find joy in the Lord even in the midst of suffering. • rejoice! See Phil 2:18; 3:1; Rom 12:12, 15; 1 Thes 5:16.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":61548,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Pure Worship","title_en":"Pure Worship","content_ro":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","summary_ro":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","summary_en":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":62339,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Complaints","title_en":"Complaints","content_ro":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","summary_en":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":63713,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","title_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","content_ro":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","summary_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67419,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Christian Joy","title_en":"Christian Joy","content_ro":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","summary_en":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":89174,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Pure Worship","title_en":"Pure Worship","content_ro":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","summary_ro":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","summary_en":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":89965,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Complaints","title_en":"Complaints","content_ro":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","summary_en":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":91339,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","title_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","content_ro":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","summary_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95045,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Christian Joy","title_en":"Christian Joy","content_ro":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","summary_en":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":116800,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Pure Worship","title_en":"Pure Worship","content_ro":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","summary_ro":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","summary_en":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":117591,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Complaints","title_en":"Complaints","content_ro":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","summary_en":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":118965,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","title_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","content_ro":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","summary_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122671,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Christian Joy","title_en":"Christian Joy","content_ro":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","summary_en":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":144426,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Pure Worship","title_en":"Pure Worship","content_ro":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Pure Worship<\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship.<\/p>\n<p>When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the <span>Lord<\/span>” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper manner and dedicating the Temple to the Lord (8:1-11; see Deut 16:13-17). In all of this, Solomon kept the requirements laid down in the law (see, e.g., Exod 25:10-22), which were intended to keep Israel’s worship purely focused on the Lord and his word.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people tend to worship according to their own inclinations rather than according to God’s instructions, and Israel was no different. In his later years, Solomon turned away from the Lord to other gods (1 Kgs 11:4-8). After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam established a competing, idolatrous religion in the northern kingdom, in clear violation of God’s law (14:9-10, 15-16). False worship characterized the northern kingdom throughout its history (e.g., 15:26; 16:13, 25-26, 30-33; 21:25-26). Meanwhile, in Judah, the southern kingdom, tolerance for local pagan altars became a persistent spiritual distraction (15:14; 22:43). Neither Judah nor Israel remained pure in their worship of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>There is one God, and God’s people must worship only him (1 Kgs 8:23; see Deut 5:7, 9; 6:4; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Our worship must come from a pure heart; we must remain completely faithful to the Lord in dedicated service to him (1 Kgs 15:14; 17:1; see Deut 10:12, 20; Ps 24:3-4; Matt 4:10; John 4:24). Our daily and weekly worship of God should have a sense of God’s presence, which will be a source of genuine joy (1 Kgs 8:56; cp. Ps 63:1-3; Phil 4:4). Just as Israel’s Temple was a sanctuary intended to attract all people (1 Kgs 8:41-43), believers, who are the temple of the living God (1 Cor 3:16-17), are to live so as to attract and motivate others to desire to know the Lord and worship him (Matt 5:16; Acts 2:40-47; 2 Tim 4:5; 1 Pet 2:12). Our whole lives should include daily worship of Christ, acknowledging him as Lord (1 Pet 3:15). And we must not let any idol take God’s place in our hearts (1 Jn 5:21).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 8:20; Exod 4:31; 25:10-22; Lev 1:1–8:36; Deut 5:7-9; 6:4-9; 10:12, 20; 16:13-17; 26:1-15; 1 Kgs 5:3-5; Pss 24:3-6; 51:1-19; Hos 6:6; 14:1-2; Mic 6:6-8; Matt 4:10; 5:16; 6:1-18; John 4:19-24; 5:23; 14:6; Acts 2:40-47; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 14:1-40; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:1-25; 1 Pet 3:15; 1 Jn 5:21; Rev 5:9-13; 15:3<\/p>","summary_ro":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","summary_en":"Pure Worship From the beginning of God’s relationship with Israel, he made provision for their worship of him to be pleasing to him (Exod 20–40; Lev 1–8). One of the Lord’s key purposes for his people is that they offer him pure worship. When Solomon built the Temple as a permanent worship sanctuary, he took great care to erect “a Temple to honor the name of the Lord” (1 Kgs 5:3-5). He built in accordance with the pattern he was given, placing the Ark in the inner sanctuary in the proper mann...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":145217,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Complaints","title_en":"Complaints","content_ro":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Complaints<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).<\/p>\n<p>Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11<\/p>","summary_ro":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","summary_en":"Complaints The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8). Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindic...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":146591,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","title_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts","content_ro":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Enjoying God’s Gifts<\/h3>\n<p>The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, drink, health, proper clothes, our loving spouse, children, daily work, and entertainment. It may be surprising to hear such joy in Ecclesiastes, a book that acknowledges such intense tragedy and frustration. But it is exactly this balance of joy and sorrow that characterizes the wise person who reflects on all of life and understands its complexities in a fallen world.<\/p>\n<p>It is when we treat the things of life and their enjoyment as ends in themselves that they are deterrents to happiness. The Teacher speaks strongly against the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake as foolish and without profit (2:1-2; 7:4; 10:16-19; see also Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament encourages us to be joyful in all things, including trials and challenges (Phil 4:4; Jas 1:2). One tradition in Christianity states that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (<em>Westminster Shorter Catechism,<\/em> Question 1).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eccl 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 4:6; 5:18-20; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19-20; Phil 4:4; Col 2:20-22; Jas 1:2; 4:13-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","summary_en":"Enjoying God’s Gifts The conclusion of many of the Teacher’s reflections in Ecclesiastes is that we are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift (see 2:24-25; 3:12-13, 22; 5:18; 6:9; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:7-10). Although there are conditions in which it would seemingly be better not to be alive, life is meant to be enjoyed with laughing, dancing, love, and peace. It is especially worth living when old age and death challenge that joy (9:4, 10; 11:7-9; 12:1). We are to enjoy our food, ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150297,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Christian Joy","title_en":"Christian Joy","content_ro":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Christian Joy<\/h3>\n<p>In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16).<\/p>\n<p>Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstances. Christian joy is clearly different; it is rooted in a person’s relationship with the Lord, and it is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Joy comes in knowing that whatever happens, God will use everything for our ultimate good (see Rom 5:3-4; 8:28). Believers also have joy from the dynamic presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts (see Gal 5:22). The real secret to a joyful life is in continuously being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (see Eph 5:18). The attitudes of believers are not defined by outward circumstances, but by a relationship with the living God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>John 15:11; 16:24; Rom 5:3-4; 8:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:18; Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16<\/p>","summary_ro":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","summary_en":"Christian Joy In the last hours of his life, Jesus expressed a desire that his disciples “be filled with [his] joy” (see John 15:11; 16:20-24). The subject of joy emerges in a number of Paul’s letters and is a major theme in Philippians. Often when Paul encourages believers to be filled with joy, his words are directed toward those who are experiencing persecution—for example, believers in Philippi and Thessalonica (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). Superficial happiness is dependent on circumstan...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"5":[{"id":11021,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Epicureans","title_en":"Epicureans","content_ro":"<h3>EPICUREANS<\/h3>\n<p>Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 <span>BC<\/span>). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18).<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 <span>BC<\/span> to found a school. He attracted a considerable following, and his disciples spread his message throughout the civilized world. The fact that Paul met Epicureans over three centuries after the death of Epicurus shows both the attractiveness of his teachings and the commitment of his disciples. In the first century <span>BC<\/span> these teachings found expression in the writing of the Roman poet Lucretius. His <em>On the Nature of Things<\/em> is a helpful guide to understanding Epicurus, especially since only fragments of Epicurus’s own writings remain.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicureans were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience for knowledge. This put them in opposition to those who chose to make statements about the world on the basis of reason alone, distrusting or rejecting the data of the senses. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and with practicalities, thus showing a somewhat scientific character. They were unenthusiastic about mathematics because of what they took to be its abstract quality, having little to do with the important matters of living. Ethics, the study of right behavior, was their focus.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicurean judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought—a position called hedonism. It was egoistic hedonism because the person sought his own pleasure rather than the pleasure of others. This description can bring to mind the image of an irresponsible glutton or lover of wild parties, but this image, encouraged by the modern sense of the word “epicurean,” is misleading. Epicurus rejected just such behavior. He realized that momentary pleasure can lead to enduring pain and that some pain can be beneficial. He viewed pleasure more as a quality of life than a series of thrills. What he sought is better called happiness. Basing his counsel on experience, he urged moderation, calm, friendship, a simple life. He avoided feasting, sexual passion, and strife. In fact, he avoided pain more than he sought pleasure. The pleasure of tranquillity, of peace, could be found in the absence of pain, and this was his aim. To ensure tranquillity, a man must tend to his stomach, but he must also attend to his mind, directing it toward wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus saw belief in gods as a serious threat to tranquillity. Gods were generally viewed as meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals—sources of insecurity, not peace and happiness. Epicurus taught that the gods were not, in fact, like this but were tranquil hedonists who stayed away from men. They avoided the strife involved in contact with people on earth. In short, they were nothing to fear.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus taught that we, and everything in our world, are made up of atoms of different qualities. For example, the atoms of the human soul are smooth and round. Although atomic theories often lead to the conviction that all human actions are determined by the laws that rule the motion of atoms, Epicurus’s theory did not. He allowed for human freedom by claiming that some atoms spontaneously leave their straight paths, thus setting off an unpredictable chain of collisions. Man’s behavior is then free and not machinelike.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of his freedom, man is still a collection of atoms, and when the atoms separate, the man ceases to exist; he is not immortal. Epicurus saw this as reason no longer to fear death. For after death, all experience ceases. There will be no pain, and so there is no cause for anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurean themes can be found in the Bible—for example, moderation (Phil 4:5) and the peace that comes from the exercise of wisdom (Prv 3:13-18). But the differences are clear. The Bible reveals a God who is intimately involved in the world; the immortality of man’s soul; and the truth that genuine happiness depends upon communion with and service to God (Phil 4:6-7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philosophy.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EPICUREANS<\/h3>\n<p>Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 <span>BC<\/span>). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18).<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 <span>BC<\/span> to found a school. He attracted a considerable following, and his disciples spread his message throughout the civilized world. The fact that Paul met Epicureans over three centuries after the death of Epicurus shows both the attractiveness of his teachings and the commitment of his disciples. In the first century <span>BC<\/span> these teachings found expression in the writing of the Roman poet Lucretius. His <em>On the Nature of Things<\/em> is a helpful guide to understanding Epicurus, especially since only fragments of Epicurus’s own writings remain.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicureans were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience for knowledge. This put them in opposition to those who chose to make statements about the world on the basis of reason alone, distrusting or rejecting the data of the senses. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and with practicalities, thus showing a somewhat scientific character. They were unenthusiastic about mathematics because of what they took to be its abstract quality, having little to do with the important matters of living. Ethics, the study of right behavior, was their focus.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicurean judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought—a position called hedonism. It was egoistic hedonism because the person sought his own pleasure rather than the pleasure of others. This description can bring to mind the image of an irresponsible glutton or lover of wild parties, but this image, encouraged by the modern sense of the word “epicurean,” is misleading. Epicurus rejected just such behavior. He realized that momentary pleasure can lead to enduring pain and that some pain can be beneficial. He viewed pleasure more as a quality of life than a series of thrills. What he sought is better called happiness. Basing his counsel on experience, he urged moderation, calm, friendship, a simple life. He avoided feasting, sexual passion, and strife. In fact, he avoided pain more than he sought pleasure. The pleasure of tranquillity, of peace, could be found in the absence of pain, and this was his aim. To ensure tranquillity, a man must tend to his stomach, but he must also attend to his mind, directing it toward wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus saw belief in gods as a serious threat to tranquillity. Gods were generally viewed as meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals—sources of insecurity, not peace and happiness. Epicurus taught that the gods were not, in fact, like this but were tranquil hedonists who stayed away from men. They avoided the strife involved in contact with people on earth. In short, they were nothing to fear.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus taught that we, and everything in our world, are made up of atoms of different qualities. For example, the atoms of the human soul are smooth and round. Although atomic theories often lead to the conviction that all human actions are determined by the laws that rule the motion of atoms, Epicurus’s theory did not. He allowed for human freedom by claiming that some atoms spontaneously leave their straight paths, thus setting off an unpredictable chain of collisions. Man’s behavior is then free and not machinelike.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of his freedom, man is still a collection of atoms, and when the atoms separate, the man ceases to exist; he is not immortal. Epicurus saw this as reason no longer to fear death. For after death, all experience ceases. There will be no pain, and so there is no cause for anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurean themes can be found in the Bible—for example, moderation (Phil 4:5) and the peace that comes from the exercise of wisdom (Prv 3:13-18). But the differences are clear. The Bible reveals a God who is intimately involved in the world; the immortality of man’s soul; and the truth that genuine happiness depends upon communion with and service to God (Phil 4:6-7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philosophy.<\/p>","summary_ro":"EPICUREANS Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 BC). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18). Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 BC to found a school. He attracted a consider...","summary_en":"EPICUREANS Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 BC). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18). Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 BC to found a school. He attracted a consider...","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":24303,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Maranatha*","title_en":"Maranatha*","content_ro":"<h3>MARANATHA*<\/h3>\n<p>Aramaic expression used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22, meaning either “Our Lord, come!” or “Our Lord has come.”<\/p>\n<p>Quite certainly the use of <em>maranatha<\/em> (cf. <em>amen<\/em> and <em>abba<\/em>) originated in the worship services of early Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Aramaic. Since Paul wrote in the Greek language, he needed to transliterate (writing the Aramaic phrase with Greek letters), a process that sometimes creates ambiguities. In addition, words were not written separately in ancient documents. Therefore, since <em>maranatha<\/em> consists of two words, it can be analyzed in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Most scholars agree that the first word in the phrase is <em>maran<\/em> or <em>marana,<\/em> meaning “Lord,” or more probably “our Lord,” and that the second word represents the Aramaic verb “to come.” This verb, however, may be taken either as a prayer (imperative <em>tha<\/em> or <em>etha,<\/em> “come!”) or as a statement (perfect tense <em>atha<\/em> “has come”). Five different interpretations are then possible: (1) If the words are considered as a prayer, Paul is praying for either Jesus’ spiritual presence, with possible reference to the Lord’s Supper, or (2) Jesus’ second coming. As a statement, the expression may refer to the Incarnation; it may be translated (3, 4) “Our Lord is present,” either with reference to the Lord’s Supper or to Jesus’ more general promise in Matthew 18:20; or (5) it may be translated “Our Lord is coming” (the so-called “prophetic perfect,” although some prominent Aramaic scholars argue that this is not really possible).<\/p>\n<p>In support of rendering the expression as a statement (“our Lord has come”) is the fact that the Syriac (a form of Aramaic) version translates the verb in the perfect tense; further, the early church fathers usually interpreted it the same way. A majority of scholars, however, believe that such an interpretation does not fit the context well. Further, if the phrase is understood as a prayer, it can be related to other passages (Phil 4:5b; 1 Pt 4:7; cf. Rv 22:20b, which may be a translation of <em>maranatha<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>The fact that <em>maranatha<\/em> occurs immediately after Paul’s imprecatory curse (1 Cor 16:22) has led many to the view that the Aramaic expression is part of the curse itself. The <span>kjv<\/span> rendering (“let him be Anathema Maran-atha”) leaves the impression that the two words are a unit, whereas <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">anathema<\/span> is a Greek word meaning “curse” and probably ends the sentence. It is nevertheless quite possible, some modern scholars believe, to relate <em>maranatha<\/em> very closely to the curse, since the prayer for Jesus to come in judgment reinforces the solemnity and reality of Paul’s imprecation. Interestingly, a church council in the seventh century anathematizes dissidents with the words “anathema maranatha, let him be condemned at the Lord’s coming.”<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MARANATHA*<\/h3>\n<p>Aramaic expression used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22, meaning either “Our Lord, come!” or “Our Lord has come.”<\/p>\n<p>Quite certainly the use of <em>maranatha<\/em> (cf. <em>amen<\/em> and <em>abba<\/em>) originated in the worship services of early Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Aramaic. Since Paul wrote in the Greek language, he needed to transliterate (writing the Aramaic phrase with Greek letters), a process that sometimes creates ambiguities. In addition, words were not written separately in ancient documents. Therefore, since <em>maranatha<\/em> consists of two words, it can be analyzed in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>Most scholars agree that the first word in the phrase is <em>maran<\/em> or <em>marana,<\/em> meaning “Lord,” or more probably “our Lord,” and that the second word represents the Aramaic verb “to come.” This verb, however, may be taken either as a prayer (imperative <em>tha<\/em> or <em>etha,<\/em> “come!”) or as a statement (perfect tense <em>atha<\/em> “has come”). Five different interpretations are then possible: (1) If the words are considered as a prayer, Paul is praying for either Jesus’ spiritual presence, with possible reference to the Lord’s Supper, or (2) Jesus’ second coming. As a statement, the expression may refer to the Incarnation; it may be translated (3, 4) “Our Lord is present,” either with reference to the Lord’s Supper or to Jesus’ more general promise in Matthew 18:20; or (5) it may be translated “Our Lord is coming” (the so-called “prophetic perfect,” although some prominent Aramaic scholars argue that this is not really possible).<\/p>\n<p>In support of rendering the expression as a statement (“our Lord has come”) is the fact that the Syriac (a form of Aramaic) version translates the verb in the perfect tense; further, the early church fathers usually interpreted it the same way. A majority of scholars, however, believe that such an interpretation does not fit the context well. Further, if the phrase is understood as a prayer, it can be related to other passages (Phil 4:5b; 1 Pt 4:7; cf. Rv 22:20b, which may be a translation of <em>maranatha<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>The fact that <em>maranatha<\/em> occurs immediately after Paul’s imprecatory curse (1 Cor 16:22) has led many to the view that the Aramaic expression is part of the curse itself. The <span>kjv<\/span> rendering (“let him be Anathema Maran-atha”) leaves the impression that the two words are a unit, whereas <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">anathema<\/span> is a Greek word meaning “curse” and probably ends the sentence. It is nevertheless quite possible, some modern scholars believe, to relate <em>maranatha<\/em> very closely to the curse, since the prayer for Jesus to come in judgment reinforces the solemnity and reality of Paul’s imprecation. Interestingly, a church council in the seventh century anathematizes dissidents with the words “anathema maranatha, let him be condemned at the Lord’s coming.”<\/p>","summary_ro":"MARANATHA* Aramaic expression used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22, meaning either “Our Lord, come!” or “Our Lord has come.” Quite certainly the use of maranatha (cf. amen and abba) originated in the worship services of early Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Aramaic. Since Paul wrote in the Greek language, he needed to transliterate (writing the Aramaic phrase with Greek letters), a process that sometimes creates ambiguities. In addition, words were not written separately in ancient d...","summary_en":"MARANATHA* Aramaic expression used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22, meaning either “Our Lord, come!” or “Our Lord has come.” Quite certainly the use of maranatha (cf. amen and abba) originated in the worship services of early Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Aramaic. Since Paul wrote in the Greek language, he needed to transliterate (writing the Aramaic phrase with Greek letters), a process that sometimes creates ambiguities. In addition, words were not written separately in ancient d...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58283,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:5","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","summary_en":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85909,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:5","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","summary_en":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113535,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:5","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","summary_en":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141161,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:5","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:5<\/strong> Believers are to be <em>considerate<\/em> in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know <em>the Lord is coming soon<\/em> (cp. Jas 5:8-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","summary_en":"4:5 Believers are to be considerate in their responses to others, even in persecution. They can afford to leave justice in God’s hands because they know the Lord is coming soon (cp. Jas 5:8-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"6":[{"id":11023,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Epicureans","title_en":"Epicureans","content_ro":"<h3>EPICUREANS<\/h3>\n<p>Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 <span>BC<\/span>). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18).<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 <span>BC<\/span> to found a school. He attracted a considerable following, and his disciples spread his message throughout the civilized world. The fact that Paul met Epicureans over three centuries after the death of Epicurus shows both the attractiveness of his teachings and the commitment of his disciples. In the first century <span>BC<\/span> these teachings found expression in the writing of the Roman poet Lucretius. His <em>On the Nature of Things<\/em> is a helpful guide to understanding Epicurus, especially since only fragments of Epicurus’s own writings remain.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicureans were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience for knowledge. This put them in opposition to those who chose to make statements about the world on the basis of reason alone, distrusting or rejecting the data of the senses. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and with practicalities, thus showing a somewhat scientific character. They were unenthusiastic about mathematics because of what they took to be its abstract quality, having little to do with the important matters of living. Ethics, the study of right behavior, was their focus.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicurean judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought—a position called hedonism. It was egoistic hedonism because the person sought his own pleasure rather than the pleasure of others. This description can bring to mind the image of an irresponsible glutton or lover of wild parties, but this image, encouraged by the modern sense of the word “epicurean,” is misleading. Epicurus rejected just such behavior. He realized that momentary pleasure can lead to enduring pain and that some pain can be beneficial. He viewed pleasure more as a quality of life than a series of thrills. What he sought is better called happiness. Basing his counsel on experience, he urged moderation, calm, friendship, a simple life. He avoided feasting, sexual passion, and strife. In fact, he avoided pain more than he sought pleasure. The pleasure of tranquillity, of peace, could be found in the absence of pain, and this was his aim. To ensure tranquillity, a man must tend to his stomach, but he must also attend to his mind, directing it toward wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus saw belief in gods as a serious threat to tranquillity. Gods were generally viewed as meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals—sources of insecurity, not peace and happiness. Epicurus taught that the gods were not, in fact, like this but were tranquil hedonists who stayed away from men. They avoided the strife involved in contact with people on earth. In short, they were nothing to fear.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus taught that we, and everything in our world, are made up of atoms of different qualities. For example, the atoms of the human soul are smooth and round. Although atomic theories often lead to the conviction that all human actions are determined by the laws that rule the motion of atoms, Epicurus’s theory did not. He allowed for human freedom by claiming that some atoms spontaneously leave their straight paths, thus setting off an unpredictable chain of collisions. Man’s behavior is then free and not machinelike.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of his freedom, man is still a collection of atoms, and when the atoms separate, the man ceases to exist; he is not immortal. Epicurus saw this as reason no longer to fear death. For after death, all experience ceases. There will be no pain, and so there is no cause for anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurean themes can be found in the Bible—for example, moderation (Phil 4:5) and the peace that comes from the exercise of wisdom (Prv 3:13-18). But the differences are clear. The Bible reveals a God who is intimately involved in the world; the immortality of man’s soul; and the truth that genuine happiness depends upon communion with and service to God (Phil 4:6-7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philosophy.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EPICUREANS<\/h3>\n<p>Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 <span>BC<\/span>). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18).<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 <span>BC<\/span> to found a school. He attracted a considerable following, and his disciples spread his message throughout the civilized world. The fact that Paul met Epicureans over three centuries after the death of Epicurus shows both the attractiveness of his teachings and the commitment of his disciples. In the first century <span>BC<\/span> these teachings found expression in the writing of the Roman poet Lucretius. His <em>On the Nature of Things<\/em> is a helpful guide to understanding Epicurus, especially since only fragments of Epicurus’s own writings remain.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicureans were empiricists; they relied upon sense experience for knowledge. This put them in opposition to those who chose to make statements about the world on the basis of reason alone, distrusting or rejecting the data of the senses. Epicureans were concerned with natural evidence and with practicalities, thus showing a somewhat scientific character. They were unenthusiastic about mathematics because of what they took to be its abstract quality, having little to do with the important matters of living. Ethics, the study of right behavior, was their focus.<\/p>\n<p>The Epicurean judged the value of an action or thing in terms of the pleasure or pain it brought—a position called hedonism. It was egoistic hedonism because the person sought his own pleasure rather than the pleasure of others. This description can bring to mind the image of an irresponsible glutton or lover of wild parties, but this image, encouraged by the modern sense of the word “epicurean,” is misleading. Epicurus rejected just such behavior. He realized that momentary pleasure can lead to enduring pain and that some pain can be beneficial. He viewed pleasure more as a quality of life than a series of thrills. What he sought is better called happiness. Basing his counsel on experience, he urged moderation, calm, friendship, a simple life. He avoided feasting, sexual passion, and strife. In fact, he avoided pain more than he sought pleasure. The pleasure of tranquillity, of peace, could be found in the absence of pain, and this was his aim. To ensure tranquillity, a man must tend to his stomach, but he must also attend to his mind, directing it toward wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus saw belief in gods as a serious threat to tranquillity. Gods were generally viewed as meddling and powerful beings who terrified ordinary mortals—sources of insecurity, not peace and happiness. Epicurus taught that the gods were not, in fact, like this but were tranquil hedonists who stayed away from men. They avoided the strife involved in contact with people on earth. In short, they were nothing to fear.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurus taught that we, and everything in our world, are made up of atoms of different qualities. For example, the atoms of the human soul are smooth and round. Although atomic theories often lead to the conviction that all human actions are determined by the laws that rule the motion of atoms, Epicurus’s theory did not. He allowed for human freedom by claiming that some atoms spontaneously leave their straight paths, thus setting off an unpredictable chain of collisions. Man’s behavior is then free and not machinelike.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of his freedom, man is still a collection of atoms, and when the atoms separate, the man ceases to exist; he is not immortal. Epicurus saw this as reason no longer to fear death. For after death, all experience ceases. There will be no pain, and so there is no cause for anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>Epicurean themes can be found in the Bible—for example, moderation (Phil 4:5) and the peace that comes from the exercise of wisdom (Prv 3:13-18). But the differences are clear. The Bible reveals a God who is intimately involved in the world; the immortality of man’s soul; and the truth that genuine happiness depends upon communion with and service to God (Phil 4:6-7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philosophy.<\/p>","summary_ro":"EPICUREANS Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 BC). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18). Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 BC to found a school. He attracted a consider...","summary_en":"EPICUREANS Those who followed the teachings of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (342–270 BC). Paul encountered some of them while in Athens (Acts 17:18). Epicurus spent his childhood on the island of Samos, near the western coast of what is today Turkey. In his late teens he moved to Athens for military service. After his tour of duty, he devoted his time to the study and teaching of philosophy. This work took him from Athens, but he returned in 307 BC to found a school. He attracted a consider...","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":14790,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Gratitude","title_en":"Gratitude","content_ro":"<h3>GRATITUDE<\/h3>\n<p>Natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, gratitude is not a tool used to manipulate the will of God. It is never coerced or fabricated in one’s mind; rather, gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God.<\/p>\n<p>In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed. For Jews, every aspect of creation provided evidence of God’s lordship over all life. The Hebrew people thanked him for the magnificence of the universe (Pss 19:1-4; 33:6-9; 104:1-24). When they received good news, they thanked God for his goodness and great deeds (1 Chr 16:8-12). When they received bad news, they also gave thanks, trusting that he was a just God (Jb 1:21).<\/p>\n<p>These same sentiments are found in later Jewish writings such as the Talmud. The people of Israel thanked God for his faithfulness to covenant promises: (1) for deliverance from enemies (Pss 18:17; 30:1; 44:1-8) and from death (Ps 30:8-12; Is 38:18-20; (2) for forgiveness of sin (Pss 32:5; 99:8; 103:3; Is 12:1); (3) for answers to prayer (Pss 28:6; 66:19); (4) for compassion toward the afflicted and oppressed (Pss 34:2; 72:12); (5) for executing justice (Dt 32:4; Ps 99:4); and (6) for continuing guidance (Ps 32:8; Is 30:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>Gratitude was such a vital part of Israel’s religion that it pervaded most ceremonies and customs. Thank offerings acknowledged blessings from God (Lv 7:12-13; 22:29; Ps 50:14). Shouts of joy (Ps 42:4), songs of praise (Pss 145:7; 149:1), and music and dance (Ps 150:3-5) all added to the spirit of thanksgiving in worship. Feasts and festivals were celebrated in remembrance of God’s steadfast love throughout their history (Dt 16:9-15; 2 Chr 30:21-22). King David appointed Levitical priests to offer God thanks (1 Chr 16:4). This custom was carried on by the kings Solomon (2 Chr 5:12-13) and Hezekiah (2 Chr 31:2) and by those who returned from the exile (Neh 11:17; 12:24, 27).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT, the object of thanksgiving is the love of God expressed in the redemptive work of Christ. The apostle Paul thanked God for that gift of grace (1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 9:15) and the ability to preach the gospel (2 Cor 2:14; 1 Tm 1:12). Paul thankfully participated in the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:18). Gratitude for love and faith among believers pervades his letters (Rom 6:17; Eph 1:15-16; Phil 1:3-5; Col 1:3-4; 1 Thes 1:2-3).<\/p>\n<p>Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith, Paul encouraged believers to give thanks in all things (Rom 14:6; 1 Thes 5:18). He commanded Christians to pray with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6; Col 4:2) in the name of Christ, who has made all thanksgiving possible (Eph 5:20). In his teaching on how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, Paul specified that Christians should give thanks, just as the Lord “had given thanks” (1 Cor 11:24).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>GRATITUDE<\/h3>\n<p>Natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, gratitude is not a tool used to manipulate the will of God. It is never coerced or fabricated in one’s mind; rather, gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God.<\/p>\n<p>In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed. For Jews, every aspect of creation provided evidence of God’s lordship over all life. The Hebrew people thanked him for the magnificence of the universe (Pss 19:1-4; 33:6-9; 104:1-24). When they received good news, they thanked God for his goodness and great deeds (1 Chr 16:8-12). When they received bad news, they also gave thanks, trusting that he was a just God (Jb 1:21).<\/p>\n<p>These same sentiments are found in later Jewish writings such as the Talmud. The people of Israel thanked God for his faithfulness to covenant promises: (1) for deliverance from enemies (Pss 18:17; 30:1; 44:1-8) and from death (Ps 30:8-12; Is 38:18-20; (2) for forgiveness of sin (Pss 32:5; 99:8; 103:3; Is 12:1); (3) for answers to prayer (Pss 28:6; 66:19); (4) for compassion toward the afflicted and oppressed (Pss 34:2; 72:12); (5) for executing justice (Dt 32:4; Ps 99:4); and (6) for continuing guidance (Ps 32:8; Is 30:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>Gratitude was such a vital part of Israel’s religion that it pervaded most ceremonies and customs. Thank offerings acknowledged blessings from God (Lv 7:12-13; 22:29; Ps 50:14). Shouts of joy (Ps 42:4), songs of praise (Pss 145:7; 149:1), and music and dance (Ps 150:3-5) all added to the spirit of thanksgiving in worship. Feasts and festivals were celebrated in remembrance of God’s steadfast love throughout their history (Dt 16:9-15; 2 Chr 30:21-22). King David appointed Levitical priests to offer God thanks (1 Chr 16:4). This custom was carried on by the kings Solomon (2 Chr 5:12-13) and Hezekiah (2 Chr 31:2) and by those who returned from the exile (Neh 11:17; 12:24, 27).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT, the object of thanksgiving is the love of God expressed in the redemptive work of Christ. The apostle Paul thanked God for that gift of grace (1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 9:15) and the ability to preach the gospel (2 Cor 2:14; 1 Tm 1:12). Paul thankfully participated in the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:18). Gratitude for love and faith among believers pervades his letters (Rom 6:17; Eph 1:15-16; Phil 1:3-5; Col 1:3-4; 1 Thes 1:2-3).<\/p>\n<p>Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith, Paul encouraged believers to give thanks in all things (Rom 14:6; 1 Thes 5:18). He commanded Christians to pray with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6; Col 4:2) in the name of Christ, who has made all thanksgiving possible (Eph 5:20). In his teaching on how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, Paul specified that Christians should give thanks, just as the Lord “had given thanks” (1 Cor 11:24).<\/p>","summary_ro":"GRATITUDE Natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, gratitude is not a tool used to manipulate the will of God. It is never coerced or fabricated in one’s mind; rather, gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God. In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed. For Jews, every aspect of creation provided evidence of God’s lordship over all life. The Hebrew people thanked him...","summary_en":"GRATITUDE Natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, gratitude is not a tool used to manipulate the will of God. It is never coerced or fabricated in one’s mind; rather, gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God. In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed. For Jews, every aspect of creation provided evidence of God’s lordship over all life. The Hebrew people thanked him...","source":"Articles\/G.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30258,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":31148,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Prayer","title_en":"Prayer","content_ro":"<h3>PRAYER<\/h3>\n<p>The addressing and petitioning of God. Prayer to a god or gods is a feature of many, if not all, religions, but here attention will be restricted to the biblical teaching and some of its implications. A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Christian prayer is the end product of a long process of change and development in God’s relation to people, as a survey of the biblical data shows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PrayerintheOldTestament\">Prayer in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>Newly created humans, made for fellowship with God, lived in close communion with him. Sin broke this intimate, direct relationship. Nevertheless, when the Lord formed his covenant with Abraham (Gn 15), the relationship between the covenant partners was open again. Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah (ch 18) is a striking combination of boldness and persistence and is a recognition of his own smallness and inferiority compared to God. The same could be said about Jacob’s wrestling with the angel at Peniel (ch 32). But boldness and directness are not to be confused with familiarity. Biblical prayer is characterized by the reality that there is a distance between the Creator and the creature due to human sin, bridged only by God’s grace. The basis of a person’s approach to God in prayer is never simply “man’s search for God” but God’s gracious initiative, the establishing of the covenant, and the promise of help and deliverance on the basis of that covenant. It is this covenant relationship that gives the <em>warrant<\/em> for prayer. Thus, in patriarchal times prayer was conjoined with sacrifice and obedience.<\/p>\n<p>The reestablishing of the national consciousness of Israel at the time of their deliverance from Egypt marks another phase in the biblical development. Moses was not only the political leader of Israel but also their divinely appointed mediator and intercessor with the Lord. Repeatedly he “pleads the name of the Lord” in the face of the human uncertainties of the wilderness journey and his own people’s unbelief and disobedience. Pleading the name of the Lord is not to be thought of as an incantation but as a reminder to God of who he has revealed himself to be. (God’s revelation of himself to Moses at the burning bush is fundamental to an understanding of this.) In this revelation of himself, God made promises to his people, and in prayer Moses held God to these promises. Moses was by no means the only intercessor. Aaron, Samuel, Solomon, and Hezekiah were among those who interceded for the people.<\/p>\n<p>With the formation of the priesthood and the establishment of the ritual worship of the tabernacle and later the temple, the worship of God seems to be characterized by distance. There is little indication that the people personally prayed to God, and—with the exception of Deuteronomy 26:1-15—there is nothing about prayer in all the instructions for worship given to the people. However, there is indication in the psalms that sacrifice and prayer would be coupled together (Pss 50:7-15; 55:14). Many of the psalms are remarkable for the way in which personal perplexities are acknowledged, leading to “arguments with God” and an ultimate resolution of the conflict (e.g., Ps 73).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets were men who prayed, and it seems that God’s Word came to them in prayer (Is 6:5-13; 37:1-4; Jer 11:20-23). Jeremiah’s ministry was characterized by times of conflict in prayer (Jer 18:19-23; 20:7-18) as well as more settled times of fellowship with God (10:23-25; 12:1-4; 14:7-9; 15:15-18). At the exile, with the establishment of the synagogue, corporate prayer became an element in Jewish worship. After the exile there was an emphasis on spontaneity in prayer and on the need for devotion to be more than mechanical and routine (Neh 2:4; 4:4, 9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PrayerintheNewTestament\">Prayer in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The NT’s teaching on prayer is dominated by Christ’s own example and teaching. His dependence on his Father in his mediatorial work expresses itself in repeated prayer, culminating in his High Priestly prayer (Jn 17) and the agony of Gethsemane with the prayer from the cross. His teaching on prayer, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, is to be understood as contrasting with the Jewish practices at that time, not with OT ideals. Prayer is an expression of sincere desire. It is not to inform God of matters that he would otherwise be ignorant of, and the validity of prayer is not affected by length or repetitiveness. Private prayer is to be discreet and secret (Mt 6:5-15).<\/p>\n<p>The parables are another important source of Christ’s teaching, emphasizing persistence in prayer (Lk 18:1-8), simplicity and humility (vv 10-14), and tenacity (11:5-8). A third source of teaching is the Lord’s Prayer. Once again there is the blend of directness (“Our Father”) and distance (“who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name”). The requests given in the Lord’s Prayer are concerned first with God, his kingdom and his glory, and then with the disciples’ needs for forgiveness and for daily support and deliverance. Occasionally, it seems from our Lord’s teaching that anything that is prayed for will, without restriction, be granted. But such teaching ought to be understood in the light of Christ’s overall teaching about prayer (“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”).<\/p>\n<p>Christ stated that when the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, came, the disciples would pray to the Father in the name of Christ (Jn 16:23-25). Accordingly, we find that after the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the early church is characterized by prayer (Acts 2:42) under the leadership of the apostles (6:4). The church praises God for the gift of his Son and his Spirit, and petitions God in times of difficulty (4:24; 12:5, 12).<\/p>\n<p>It is in Paul’s writings that the theology of prayer is most fully developed. The NT believer is a son, not only a servant. The Spirit who, as a result of Christ’s triumph, has come to the church is the Spirit of adoption, enabling the Christian to come to God as his Father, with all his needs. Prominent among these needs, in the mind of the apostle, are a deepening of faith in Christ, love for God, and a growing appreciation of God’s love in turn (Eph 3:14-19). Prayer is a part of the Christian’s armor against satanic attack (6:18), the effective ministry of the Word of God depends on the prayers of God’s people (vv 18-19), and the Christian is encouraged to pray for all sorts of things, with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6), and so to be free from anxiety. Paul’s own example in prayer is as instructive as the teaching he gives.<\/p>\n<p>The Christian’s prayer is rooted, objectively, in Christ’s intercession; subjectively, in the enabling of the Holy Spirit. The church is a kingdom of priests, offering spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Heb 13:15; 1 Pt 2:5), but Christ is the “great High Priest.” This thought is developed fully in Hebrews. Because of Christ’s human sympathy, the power of his intercessory work (i.e., the triumph of his atonement), and his superiority over the old Aaronic priesthood, the church is encouraged to come to God boldly, to find grace when it is needed (Heb 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-23). Nowhere in either the OT or NT is there any encouragement to pray to individuals other than God. Nowhere in Scripture is it suggested that there is any other mediator between God and men except Christ (1 Tm 2:5).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheElementsofPrayer\">The Elements of Prayer<\/p>\n<p>Although prayer is, typically, an unself-conscious activity in which the person praying devotes himself to God, it is possible to distinguish various elements in prayer, as will be apparent from the discussion of the biblical data. <em>Praise<\/em> involves the recognition of who God is and what he does. It is “giving God the glory,” not in the sense of adding to his glory, which would be impossible, but of willingly (and where appropriate, publicly) recognizing God as God. Typical expressions of such praise are to be found in the psalms (Pss 148; 150). When the recognition of God’s goodness is in respect to what he has done for the one who prays, or for others, then the prayer is one of <em>thanksgiving,<\/em> for life itself, for the use and beauty of the physical universe, for Christ and his benefits (see 2 Cor 9:15), and for specific answers to prayer. <em>Confession<\/em> of sin recognizes the holiness of God and his supreme moral authority, together with the personal responsibility of the one making the confession. Confession thus involves the vindicating or justifying of God and an explicit and unreserved recognition of sin, both as it takes its rise in sinful motives and dispositions and as it finds outward expression. Psalm 51, David’s confession of sin regarding Bathsheba, is the classic biblical instance of a prayer of confession. <em>Petition<\/em> can be thought of as it concerns the one praying, and also as it concerns others, when it is <em>intercession.<\/em> Scripture never regards prayer for oneself as sinful or ethically improper, as can be seen from the pattern of prayer given in the Lord’s Prayer. Prayer for others is an obvious expression of love for one’s neighbor, which is fundamental to biblical ethics.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lord’s Prayer, The; Praise; Worship.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PRAYER<\/h3>\n<p>The addressing and petitioning of God. Prayer to a god or gods is a feature of many, if not all, religions, but here attention will be restricted to the biblical teaching and some of its implications. A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Christian prayer is the end product of a long process of change and development in God’s relation to people, as a survey of the biblical data shows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PrayerintheOldTestament\">Prayer in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>Newly created humans, made for fellowship with God, lived in close communion with him. Sin broke this intimate, direct relationship. Nevertheless, when the Lord formed his covenant with Abraham (Gn 15), the relationship between the covenant partners was open again. Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah (ch 18) is a striking combination of boldness and persistence and is a recognition of his own smallness and inferiority compared to God. The same could be said about Jacob’s wrestling with the angel at Peniel (ch 32). But boldness and directness are not to be confused with familiarity. Biblical prayer is characterized by the reality that there is a distance between the Creator and the creature due to human sin, bridged only by God’s grace. The basis of a person’s approach to God in prayer is never simply “man’s search for God” but God’s gracious initiative, the establishing of the covenant, and the promise of help and deliverance on the basis of that covenant. It is this covenant relationship that gives the <em>warrant<\/em> for prayer. Thus, in patriarchal times prayer was conjoined with sacrifice and obedience.<\/p>\n<p>The reestablishing of the national consciousness of Israel at the time of their deliverance from Egypt marks another phase in the biblical development. Moses was not only the political leader of Israel but also their divinely appointed mediator and intercessor with the Lord. Repeatedly he “pleads the name of the Lord” in the face of the human uncertainties of the wilderness journey and his own people’s unbelief and disobedience. Pleading the name of the Lord is not to be thought of as an incantation but as a reminder to God of who he has revealed himself to be. (God’s revelation of himself to Moses at the burning bush is fundamental to an understanding of this.) In this revelation of himself, God made promises to his people, and in prayer Moses held God to these promises. Moses was by no means the only intercessor. Aaron, Samuel, Solomon, and Hezekiah were among those who interceded for the people.<\/p>\n<p>With the formation of the priesthood and the establishment of the ritual worship of the tabernacle and later the temple, the worship of God seems to be characterized by distance. There is little indication that the people personally prayed to God, and—with the exception of Deuteronomy 26:1-15—there is nothing about prayer in all the instructions for worship given to the people. However, there is indication in the psalms that sacrifice and prayer would be coupled together (Pss 50:7-15; 55:14). Many of the psalms are remarkable for the way in which personal perplexities are acknowledged, leading to “arguments with God” and an ultimate resolution of the conflict (e.g., Ps 73).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets were men who prayed, and it seems that God’s Word came to them in prayer (Is 6:5-13; 37:1-4; Jer 11:20-23). Jeremiah’s ministry was characterized by times of conflict in prayer (Jer 18:19-23; 20:7-18) as well as more settled times of fellowship with God (10:23-25; 12:1-4; 14:7-9; 15:15-18). At the exile, with the establishment of the synagogue, corporate prayer became an element in Jewish worship. After the exile there was an emphasis on spontaneity in prayer and on the need for devotion to be more than mechanical and routine (Neh 2:4; 4:4, 9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PrayerintheNewTestament\">Prayer in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The NT’s teaching on prayer is dominated by Christ’s own example and teaching. His dependence on his Father in his mediatorial work expresses itself in repeated prayer, culminating in his High Priestly prayer (Jn 17) and the agony of Gethsemane with the prayer from the cross. His teaching on prayer, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, is to be understood as contrasting with the Jewish practices at that time, not with OT ideals. Prayer is an expression of sincere desire. It is not to inform God of matters that he would otherwise be ignorant of, and the validity of prayer is not affected by length or repetitiveness. Private prayer is to be discreet and secret (Mt 6:5-15).<\/p>\n<p>The parables are another important source of Christ’s teaching, emphasizing persistence in prayer (Lk 18:1-8), simplicity and humility (vv 10-14), and tenacity (11:5-8). A third source of teaching is the Lord’s Prayer. Once again there is the blend of directness (“Our Father”) and distance (“who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name”). The requests given in the Lord’s Prayer are concerned first with God, his kingdom and his glory, and then with the disciples’ needs for forgiveness and for daily support and deliverance. Occasionally, it seems from our Lord’s teaching that anything that is prayed for will, without restriction, be granted. But such teaching ought to be understood in the light of Christ’s overall teaching about prayer (“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”).<\/p>\n<p>Christ stated that when the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, came, the disciples would pray to the Father in the name of Christ (Jn 16:23-25). Accordingly, we find that after the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the early church is characterized by prayer (Acts 2:42) under the leadership of the apostles (6:4). The church praises God for the gift of his Son and his Spirit, and petitions God in times of difficulty (4:24; 12:5, 12).<\/p>\n<p>It is in Paul’s writings that the theology of prayer is most fully developed. The NT believer is a son, not only a servant. The Spirit who, as a result of Christ’s triumph, has come to the church is the Spirit of adoption, enabling the Christian to come to God as his Father, with all his needs. Prominent among these needs, in the mind of the apostle, are a deepening of faith in Christ, love for God, and a growing appreciation of God’s love in turn (Eph 3:14-19). Prayer is a part of the Christian’s armor against satanic attack (6:18), the effective ministry of the Word of God depends on the prayers of God’s people (vv 18-19), and the Christian is encouraged to pray for all sorts of things, with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6), and so to be free from anxiety. Paul’s own example in prayer is as instructive as the teaching he gives.<\/p>\n<p>The Christian’s prayer is rooted, objectively, in Christ’s intercession; subjectively, in the enabling of the Holy Spirit. The church is a kingdom of priests, offering spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Heb 13:15; 1 Pt 2:5), but Christ is the “great High Priest.” This thought is developed fully in Hebrews. Because of Christ’s human sympathy, the power of his intercessory work (i.e., the triumph of his atonement), and his superiority over the old Aaronic priesthood, the church is encouraged to come to God boldly, to find grace when it is needed (Heb 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-23). Nowhere in either the OT or NT is there any encouragement to pray to individuals other than God. Nowhere in Scripture is it suggested that there is any other mediator between God and men except Christ (1 Tm 2:5).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheElementsofPrayer\">The Elements of Prayer<\/p>\n<p>Although prayer is, typically, an unself-conscious activity in which the person praying devotes himself to God, it is possible to distinguish various elements in prayer, as will be apparent from the discussion of the biblical data. <em>Praise<\/em> involves the recognition of who God is and what he does. It is “giving God the glory,” not in the sense of adding to his glory, which would be impossible, but of willingly (and where appropriate, publicly) recognizing God as God. Typical expressions of such praise are to be found in the psalms (Pss 148; 150). When the recognition of God’s goodness is in respect to what he has done for the one who prays, or for others, then the prayer is one of <em>thanksgiving,<\/em> for life itself, for the use and beauty of the physical universe, for Christ and his benefits (see 2 Cor 9:15), and for specific answers to prayer. <em>Confession<\/em> of sin recognizes the holiness of God and his supreme moral authority, together with the personal responsibility of the one making the confession. Confession thus involves the vindicating or justifying of God and an explicit and unreserved recognition of sin, both as it takes its rise in sinful motives and dispositions and as it finds outward expression. Psalm 51, David’s confession of sin regarding Bathsheba, is the classic biblical instance of a prayer of confession. <em>Petition<\/em> can be thought of as it concerns the one praying, and also as it concerns others, when it is <em>intercession.<\/em> Scripture never regards prayer for oneself as sinful or ethically improper, as can be seen from the pattern of prayer given in the Lord’s Prayer. Prayer for others is an obvious expression of love for one’s neighbor, which is fundamental to biblical ethics.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lord’s Prayer, The; Praise; Worship.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PRAYER The addressing and petitioning of God. Prayer to a god or gods is a feature of many, if not all, religions, but here attention will be restricted to the biblical teaching and some of its implications. A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Christian prayer is the end product of a ...","summary_en":"PRAYER The addressing and petitioning of God. Prayer to a god or gods is a feature of many, if not all, religions, but here attention will be restricted to the biblical teaching and some of its implications. A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). Christian prayer is the end product of a ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58284,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:6","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","summary_en":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85910,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:6","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","summary_en":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113536,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:6","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","summary_en":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141162,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:6","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:6<\/strong> Believers need not <em>worry about anything<\/em> because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to <em>pray about everything<\/em> (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","summary_en":"4:6 Believers need not worry about anything because the heavenly Father loves his children and cares about their needs, and he has invited his children to pray about everything (see Matt 6:25-34; 7:9-11; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; 1 Thes 5:17; 1 Pet 5:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"7":[{"id":5210,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Blessing Bless","title_en":"Blessing Bless","content_ro":"<h3>BLESS, BLESSING<\/h3>\n<p>Pronouncement of the favor of God upon an assembled congregation. Worship services, especially observances of Holy Communion in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches, usually end with a blessing spoken by the senior clergyman present. This pronouncement (called “blessing” in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches and “benediction” in most Protestant churches) is based upon the widespread biblical precedent of blessing (Gn 27:27-29; Nm 6:22-27; Lk 24:50; 2 Cor 13:11, 14; Phil 4:7; 2 Thes 2:16-17; Heb 13:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>The practice of benediction or blessing is often regarded merely as a ritual of dismissal, but it is actually a pronouncement of God’s gracious favor, to be given only by his ministers on the authority of Holy Scripture to faithful believers. In this action Christians are assured that the grace of God the Father, the love of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are with them.<\/p>\n<p>The term “blessing” is also applied to thanksgiving for food and drink (Mt 14:19; Mk 8:7; Lk 24:30).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Beatitudes, The.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BLESS, BLESSING<\/h3>\n<p>Pronouncement of the favor of God upon an assembled congregation. Worship services, especially observances of Holy Communion in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches, usually end with a blessing spoken by the senior clergyman present. This pronouncement (called “blessing” in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches and “benediction” in most Protestant churches) is based upon the widespread biblical precedent of blessing (Gn 27:27-29; Nm 6:22-27; Lk 24:50; 2 Cor 13:11, 14; Phil 4:7; 2 Thes 2:16-17; Heb 13:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>The practice of benediction or blessing is often regarded merely as a ritual of dismissal, but it is actually a pronouncement of God’s gracious favor, to be given only by his ministers on the authority of Holy Scripture to faithful believers. In this action Christians are assured that the grace of God the Father, the love of the Son, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are with them.<\/p>\n<p>The term “blessing” is also applied to thanksgiving for food and drink (Mt 14:19; Mk 8:7; Lk 24:30).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Beatitudes, The.<\/p>","summary_ro":"BLESS, BLESSING Pronouncement of the favor of God upon an assembled congregation. Worship services, especially observances of Holy Communion in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches, usually end with a blessing spoken by the senior clergyman present. This pronouncement (called “blessing” in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches and “benediction” in most Protestant churches) is based upon the widespread biblical precedent of blessing (Gn 27:27-29;...","summary_en":"BLESS, BLESSING Pronouncement of the favor of God upon an assembled congregation. Worship services, especially observances of Holy Communion in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant churches, usually end with a blessing spoken by the senior clergyman present. This pronouncement (called “blessing” in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches and “benediction” in most Protestant churches) is based upon the widespread biblical precedent of blessing (Gn 27:27-29;...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":15771,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Heart","title_en":"Heart","content_ro":"<h3>HEART<\/h3>\n<p>Vital bodily organ; emotional center of one’s being.<\/p>\n<p>In Hebrew and Greek, as in modern English, “heart” is used to designate a physical organ as well as the emotional center of one’s being. “Heart” (Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">leb<\/span><em>;<\/em> Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">kardia<\/span>) occurs approximately 1,000 times in the Bible, though it is often disguised in translation. The range of meaning is great.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PhysicalHeart\">Physical Heart<\/p>\n<p>That the beating heart indicates life seems implied in 1 Samuel 25:37-39 (see <span>nlt<\/span> mg), despite the delay in Nabal’s death. Physical food and wine affect the heart (Jgs 19:5; Ps 104:15; Acts 14:17), and the heart can “faint” and “tremble.” The heart’s position in the body yields an obvious metaphor for “the center” (Mt 12:40).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PyschologicalHeart\">Pyschological Heart<\/p>\n<p>The heart attends intellectually (e.g., Jer 12:11); it also perceives (Jn 12:40), understands (1 Kgs 3:9), debates (Mk 2:6), reflects (Lk 2:19), remembers (Lk 2:51), thinks (Dt 8:17), imagines (Lk 1:51), is wise (Eccl 1:17, <span>kjv<\/span>), has technical skill (Ex 28:3, <span>kjv<\/span>), and much more.<\/p>\n<p>Emotionally, the heart experiences intoxicated merriment (1 Sm 25:36), gladness (Is 30:29), joy (Jn 16:22), sorrow (Neh 2:2), anguish (Rom 9:2), bitterness (Prv 14:10), anxiety (1 Sm 4:13), despair (Eccl 2:20), love (2 Sm 14:1), trust (Ps 112:7), affection (2 Cor 7:3), lust (Mt 5:28), callousness (Mk 3:5), hatred (Lv 19:17), fear (Gn 42:28), jealousy (Jas 3:14), desire (Rom 10:1), discouragement (Nm 32:9), sympathy (Ex 23:9), anger (Dt 19:6, <span>kjv<\/span>), irresolution (2 Chr 13:7, <span>kjv<\/span>), and much more.<\/p>\n<p>Volitionally, the heart can purpose (1 Cor 4:5), incline to (1 Sm 14:7), prompt (2 Kgs 12:4; cf. Prv 4:23), be steadfast (Acts 11:23), be willing (Ex 35:22), contrive evil (Acts 5:4), or follow its “treasure” (Mt 6:21).<\/p>\n<p>Morally, the heart can be gentle, lowly (Mt 11:29), holy (1 Thes 3:13), faithful (Neh 9:8), upright (Ps 97:11), pure, single-minded (Jas 4:8), clean (Acts 15:8), loving toward God (Mk 12:30) and others (1 Pt 1:22), hardened, or sensitive (Ez 11:19). Scripture’s emphasis falls upon the heart’s evil (Gn 6:5 and throughout), as self-deceiving (Jas 1:26), deceitful (Jer 17:9), avaricious (Mt 6:19-21), lustful (Mt 5:28), arrogant (Is 9:9), impious (Acts 7:51), perverse (Ps 101:4), and impenitent (Rom 2:5). Nothing defiles a man worse than his own heart (Mk 7:18-19).<\/p>\n<p>Yet out of the heart can come good (Lk 6:45; 8:15). Even when frustrated by circumstances or by fear, the heart’s good intention remains good; its evil intent, bad (1 Kgs 8:18; Mt 5:28).<\/p>\n<p>Being so complex, a person’s heart is sadly divided, and Scripture often extols a perfect, whole, true (i.e., united) heart (Gn 20:5; Ps 86:11; Acts 8:37). The “heart” signifies the total inner self, a person’s hidden core of being (1 Pt 3:4), with which one communes, which one “pours out” in prayer, words, and deeds (Ps 62:8; Mt 15:18-19). It is the genuine self, distinguished from appearance, public position, and physical presence (1 Sm 16:7; 2 Cor 5:12; 1 Thes 2:17). And this “heart-self” has its own nature, character, and disposition (Dn 4:16; 7:4, <span>kjv<\/span>; cf. Mt 12:33-37).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheSpiritualHeart\">The Spiritual Heart<\/p>\n<p>The heart is especially important in biblical religion. The mystery of the hidden self is fully known to God and to Christ (Jer 17:10; Lk 9:47; Rom 8:27), and the heart is the seat of our knowledge of God (2 Cor 4:6). The state of heart governs the vision of God (Mt 5:8); from the heart one speaks to God (Ps 27:8); the heart is the locus of divine indwelling (2 Cor 1:22; Gal 4:6; Eph 3:17).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, moral evil in the heart is seen in biblical perspective as sin against God. Senseless hearts are darkened, often secretly idolatrous, far from God, “not right” before God (Dt 29:18-19; Mt 15:8; Acts 8:21; Rom 1:21). Yet the Lord will not despise a broken, contrite heart (Ps 51:17). When one’s heart is turned toward God, he promises to make it sensitive to divine things, renewed and purified (Dt 4:29; 2 Kgs 23:25; Ps 51:10; Jl 2:13; Ez 36:25-27). God’s law shall then be written on the heart as the inward guide and incentive (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10; cf. 2 Cor 3:2-3).<\/p>\n<p>In Christian terms, such transformation involves believing the gospel from the “honest and good heart” that provides fruitful soil for the Word of God (Lk 8:15; Rom 10:9). The true heart draws near to God, loves him with all its intellect, feeling, and will (Lk 10:27; Heb 10:22). Then God gives strength, reward, renewal, grace, peace, and joy to the heart (Ps 73:26; Is 57:15; Acts 2:46; Phil 4:7; Heb 13:9). So the ancient ideal becomes possible again, that of being “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sm 13:14; Acts 13:22).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>HEART<\/h3>\n<p>Vital bodily organ; emotional center of one’s being.<\/p>\n<p>In Hebrew and Greek, as in modern English, “heart” is used to designate a physical organ as well as the emotional center of one’s being. “Heart” (Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">leb<\/span><em>;<\/em> Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">kardia<\/span>) occurs approximately 1,000 times in the Bible, though it is often disguised in translation. The range of meaning is great.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PhysicalHeart\">Physical Heart<\/p>\n<p>That the beating heart indicates life seems implied in 1 Samuel 25:37-39 (see <span>nlt<\/span> mg), despite the delay in Nabal’s death. Physical food and wine affect the heart (Jgs 19:5; Ps 104:15; Acts 14:17), and the heart can “faint” and “tremble.” The heart’s position in the body yields an obvious metaphor for “the center” (Mt 12:40).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PyschologicalHeart\">Pyschological Heart<\/p>\n<p>The heart attends intellectually (e.g., Jer 12:11); it also perceives (Jn 12:40), understands (1 Kgs 3:9), debates (Mk 2:6), reflects (Lk 2:19), remembers (Lk 2:51), thinks (Dt 8:17), imagines (Lk 1:51), is wise (Eccl 1:17, <span>kjv<\/span>), has technical skill (Ex 28:3, <span>kjv<\/span>), and much more.<\/p>\n<p>Emotionally, the heart experiences intoxicated merriment (1 Sm 25:36), gladness (Is 30:29), joy (Jn 16:22), sorrow (Neh 2:2), anguish (Rom 9:2), bitterness (Prv 14:10), anxiety (1 Sm 4:13), despair (Eccl 2:20), love (2 Sm 14:1), trust (Ps 112:7), affection (2 Cor 7:3), lust (Mt 5:28), callousness (Mk 3:5), hatred (Lv 19:17), fear (Gn 42:28), jealousy (Jas 3:14), desire (Rom 10:1), discouragement (Nm 32:9), sympathy (Ex 23:9), anger (Dt 19:6, <span>kjv<\/span>), irresolution (2 Chr 13:7, <span>kjv<\/span>), and much more.<\/p>\n<p>Volitionally, the heart can purpose (1 Cor 4:5), incline to (1 Sm 14:7), prompt (2 Kgs 12:4; cf. Prv 4:23), be steadfast (Acts 11:23), be willing (Ex 35:22), contrive evil (Acts 5:4), or follow its “treasure” (Mt 6:21).<\/p>\n<p>Morally, the heart can be gentle, lowly (Mt 11:29), holy (1 Thes 3:13), faithful (Neh 9:8), upright (Ps 97:11), pure, single-minded (Jas 4:8), clean (Acts 15:8), loving toward God (Mk 12:30) and others (1 Pt 1:22), hardened, or sensitive (Ez 11:19). Scripture’s emphasis falls upon the heart’s evil (Gn 6:5 and throughout), as self-deceiving (Jas 1:26), deceitful (Jer 17:9), avaricious (Mt 6:19-21), lustful (Mt 5:28), arrogant (Is 9:9), impious (Acts 7:51), perverse (Ps 101:4), and impenitent (Rom 2:5). Nothing defiles a man worse than his own heart (Mk 7:18-19).<\/p>\n<p>Yet out of the heart can come good (Lk 6:45; 8:15). Even when frustrated by circumstances or by fear, the heart’s good intention remains good; its evil intent, bad (1 Kgs 8:18; Mt 5:28).<\/p>\n<p>Being so complex, a person’s heart is sadly divided, and Scripture often extols a perfect, whole, true (i.e., united) heart (Gn 20:5; Ps 86:11; Acts 8:37). The “heart” signifies the total inner self, a person’s hidden core of being (1 Pt 3:4), with which one communes, which one “pours out” in prayer, words, and deeds (Ps 62:8; Mt 15:18-19). It is the genuine self, distinguished from appearance, public position, and physical presence (1 Sm 16:7; 2 Cor 5:12; 1 Thes 2:17). And this “heart-self” has its own nature, character, and disposition (Dn 4:16; 7:4, <span>kjv<\/span>; cf. Mt 12:33-37).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheSpiritualHeart\">The Spiritual Heart<\/p>\n<p>The heart is especially important in biblical religion. The mystery of the hidden self is fully known to God and to Christ (Jer 17:10; Lk 9:47; Rom 8:27), and the heart is the seat of our knowledge of God (2 Cor 4:6). The state of heart governs the vision of God (Mt 5:8); from the heart one speaks to God (Ps 27:8); the heart is the locus of divine indwelling (2 Cor 1:22; Gal 4:6; Eph 3:17).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, moral evil in the heart is seen in biblical perspective as sin against God. Senseless hearts are darkened, often secretly idolatrous, far from God, “not right” before God (Dt 29:18-19; Mt 15:8; Acts 8:21; Rom 1:21). Yet the Lord will not despise a broken, contrite heart (Ps 51:17). When one’s heart is turned toward God, he promises to make it sensitive to divine things, renewed and purified (Dt 4:29; 2 Kgs 23:25; Ps 51:10; Jl 2:13; Ez 36:25-27). God’s law shall then be written on the heart as the inward guide and incentive (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10; cf. 2 Cor 3:2-3).<\/p>\n<p>In Christian terms, such transformation involves believing the gospel from the “honest and good heart” that provides fruitful soil for the Word of God (Lk 8:15; Rom 10:9). The true heart draws near to God, loves him with all its intellect, feeling, and will (Lk 10:27; Heb 10:22). Then God gives strength, reward, renewal, grace, peace, and joy to the heart (Ps 73:26; Is 57:15; Acts 2:46; Phil 4:7; Heb 13:9). So the ancient ideal becomes possible again, that of being “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sm 13:14; Acts 13:22).<\/p>","summary_ro":"HEART Vital bodily organ; emotional center of one’s being. In Hebrew and Greek, as in modern English, “heart” is used to designate a physical organ as well as the emotional center of one’s being. “Heart” (Hebrew leb; Greek kardia) occurs approximately 1,000 times in the Bible, though it is often disguised in translation. The range of meaning is great. Physical Heart That the beating heart indicates life seems implied in 1 Samuel 25:37-39 (see nlt mg), despite the delay in Nabal’s death. Physi...","summary_en":"HEART Vital bodily organ; emotional center of one’s being. In Hebrew and Greek, as in modern English, “heart” is used to designate a physical organ as well as the emotional center of one’s being. “Heart” (Hebrew leb; Greek kardia) occurs approximately 1,000 times in the Bible, though it is often disguised in translation. The range of meaning is great. Physical Heart That the beating heart indicates life seems implied in 1 Samuel 25:37-39 (see nlt mg), despite the delay in Nabal’s death. Physi...","source":"Articles\/H.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":29389,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Peace","title_en":"Peace","content_ro":"<h3>PEACE<\/h3>\n<p>Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of connotations (wholeness, health, security, well-being, and salvation) and could apply to an equally wide range of contexts: the state of the individual (Ps 37:37; Prv 3:2; Is 32:17), the relationship of person to person (Gn 34:21; Jos 9:15) or nation to nation (e.g., absence of conflict—Dt 2:26; Jos 10:21; 1 Kgs 5:12; Ps 122:6-7), and the relationship of God and people (Ps 85:8; Jer 16:5).<\/p>\n<p>The presence of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> in any of these contexts was not considered ultimately as the outcome of human endeavor but as a gift or blessing of God (Lv 26:6; 1 Kgs 2:33; Jb 25:2; Pss 29:11; 85:8; Is 45:7). It is not surprising, therefore, to find “peace” tied closely to the OT notion of covenant. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> was the desired state of harmony and communion between the two covenant partners—God and his people (Nm 6:26; cf. Is 54:10). Its presence signified God’s blessing in the covenant relationship (Mal 2:5; cf. Nm 25:12), and its absence signified the breakdown of that relationship due to Israel’s disobedience and unrighteousness (Jer 16:5, 10-13; cf. Ps 85:9-11; Is 32:17).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> becomes a pivotal term in the prophetic writings. It was the “false” prophets who, forgetting the conditions for national well-being within the covenant relationship, assumed God’s loyalty to Israel (Ps 89) would guarantee political peace forever (Jer 6:14; 8:15; Ez 13:10, 16; Mi 3:5). Against such popular but false security, the preexilic prophets proclaimed the coming judgment precisely as a loss of this <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> due to Israel’s persistent disobedience and unrighteousness (Is 48:18; Jer 14:13-16; 16:5, 10-13; 28; Mi 3:4, 9-12).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets did, however, point beyond the crises of exile and subsequent setbacks to a time when <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> characterized by prosperity and well-being (Is 45:7; Ez 34:25-26), absence of conflict (Is 2:2-4; 32:15-20; Ez 34:28-31), right relations (Is 11:1-5; Mi 4:1-4; Zec 8:9-13), restoration of harmony in nature (Is 11:6-9; Ez 47:1-12), and salvation (Is 52:7; 60:17; Ez 34:30-31; 37:26-28) would again return. Often this eschatological (or end-time) expectation of peace in the OT was associated with a messianic figure, as in Isaiah 9:6, where the future Messiah is termed the “Prince of Peace.” Moreover, his reign would be one of “peace” not only for Israel but throughout the whole earth (Zec 9:9-10). The OT ends with this hope of peace still unrealized in its full sense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Greek term for “peace” used predominantly in the NT is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span><em>,<\/em> a word expanded from its classical Greek connotation of “rest” to include the various connotations of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> discussed above. As with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span> could be used as a greeting or farewell (as in “peace be with you”—Lk 10:5; Gal 6:16; Jas 2:16; cf. Jn 20:19), or could signify the cessation of conflict (national—Lk 14:32; Acts 12:20; or interpersonal—Rom 14:19; Eph 4:3), or the presence of domestic tranquillity (cf. 1 Cor 7:15).<\/p>\n<p>The chief issue concerns how Jesus incorporated the OT hope for the eschatological peace of God into his ministry. In the “benedictus” of Zechariah (Lk 1:67-79), the coming of Jesus as the Messiah is expected to “guide our feet into the way of peace” (v 79). So also the angelic testimony to the shepherds proclaims Jesus as the bringer of God’s peace to people (2:14). That is, Jesus as the Messiah would usher in God’s reign of peace. Jesus’ self-understanding as expressed in the fourth Gospel corresponds to this association. This long-expected peace of God is Jesus’ farewell gift to the disciples (Jn 14:27); it is given to them when he breathed his Spirit into them (20:19-22).<\/p>\n<p>The nature of this gift of peace brought by Jesus may be easier to explain by stating what it is not. It is not an end to tension or the absence of warfare. It is not domestic tranquillity nor anything like the worldly estimation of peace (Lk 12:51-53; Jn 14:27; 16:32-33). Its presence may, on the contrary, actually disturb existing relations, being a dividing “sword” in familial relations (Mt 10:34-37). Jesus’ gift of peace is, in reality, the character and mood of the new covenant of his blood that reconciles God to people (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20) and forms the basis of subsequent reconciliation between divergent people (Eph 2:14-22).<\/p>\n<p>The early church understood “peace” to be the final, end-time salvation of God given already through Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 4:7-9). This understanding of “peace” altered the content of the common greeting “go in peace” as it was taken up in the Christian community. In Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting (1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2, etc.; cf. also 1 Pt 1:2; 2 Jn 1:3; Jude 1:2; Rv 1:4), it is no longer a mere wish for peace that Paul extends to his readers but is a reminder of the messianic gifts available in the present time through Christ to the man of faith. In accord with this, Jesus is described as “peace” itself (Eph 2:14), while God, too, because of his act of reconciliation through Christ, is known as a “God of peace” (Phil 4:9; Col 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>This gift of peace or reconciliation with God, made available through Christ, places an ethical demand on the Christian; it calls for the exercises of “peace” (as reconciliation between persons) within the church. Peace, as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), is to be the goal of the Christian’s dealings with others (Rom 12:18; 14:19; Heb 12:14).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PEACE<\/h3>\n<p>Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of connotations (wholeness, health, security, well-being, and salvation) and could apply to an equally wide range of contexts: the state of the individual (Ps 37:37; Prv 3:2; Is 32:17), the relationship of person to person (Gn 34:21; Jos 9:15) or nation to nation (e.g., absence of conflict—Dt 2:26; Jos 10:21; 1 Kgs 5:12; Ps 122:6-7), and the relationship of God and people (Ps 85:8; Jer 16:5).<\/p>\n<p>The presence of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> in any of these contexts was not considered ultimately as the outcome of human endeavor but as a gift or blessing of God (Lv 26:6; 1 Kgs 2:33; Jb 25:2; Pss 29:11; 85:8; Is 45:7). It is not surprising, therefore, to find “peace” tied closely to the OT notion of covenant. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> was the desired state of harmony and communion between the two covenant partners—God and his people (Nm 6:26; cf. Is 54:10). Its presence signified God’s blessing in the covenant relationship (Mal 2:5; cf. Nm 25:12), and its absence signified the breakdown of that relationship due to Israel’s disobedience and unrighteousness (Jer 16:5, 10-13; cf. Ps 85:9-11; Is 32:17).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> becomes a pivotal term in the prophetic writings. It was the “false” prophets who, forgetting the conditions for national well-being within the covenant relationship, assumed God’s loyalty to Israel (Ps 89) would guarantee political peace forever (Jer 6:14; 8:15; Ez 13:10, 16; Mi 3:5). Against such popular but false security, the preexilic prophets proclaimed the coming judgment precisely as a loss of this <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> due to Israel’s persistent disobedience and unrighteousness (Is 48:18; Jer 14:13-16; 16:5, 10-13; 28; Mi 3:4, 9-12).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets did, however, point beyond the crises of exile and subsequent setbacks to a time when <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> characterized by prosperity and well-being (Is 45:7; Ez 34:25-26), absence of conflict (Is 2:2-4; 32:15-20; Ez 34:28-31), right relations (Is 11:1-5; Mi 4:1-4; Zec 8:9-13), restoration of harmony in nature (Is 11:6-9; Ez 47:1-12), and salvation (Is 52:7; 60:17; Ez 34:30-31; 37:26-28) would again return. Often this eschatological (or end-time) expectation of peace in the OT was associated with a messianic figure, as in Isaiah 9:6, where the future Messiah is termed the “Prince of Peace.” Moreover, his reign would be one of “peace” not only for Israel but throughout the whole earth (Zec 9:9-10). The OT ends with this hope of peace still unrealized in its full sense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Greek term for “peace” used predominantly in the NT is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span><em>,<\/em> a word expanded from its classical Greek connotation of “rest” to include the various connotations of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> discussed above. As with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span> could be used as a greeting or farewell (as in “peace be with you”—Lk 10:5; Gal 6:16; Jas 2:16; cf. Jn 20:19), or could signify the cessation of conflict (national—Lk 14:32; Acts 12:20; or interpersonal—Rom 14:19; Eph 4:3), or the presence of domestic tranquillity (cf. 1 Cor 7:15).<\/p>\n<p>The chief issue concerns how Jesus incorporated the OT hope for the eschatological peace of God into his ministry. In the “benedictus” of Zechariah (Lk 1:67-79), the coming of Jesus as the Messiah is expected to “guide our feet into the way of peace” (v 79). So also the angelic testimony to the shepherds proclaims Jesus as the bringer of God’s peace to people (2:14). That is, Jesus as the Messiah would usher in God’s reign of peace. Jesus’ self-understanding as expressed in the fourth Gospel corresponds to this association. This long-expected peace of God is Jesus’ farewell gift to the disciples (Jn 14:27); it is given to them when he breathed his Spirit into them (20:19-22).<\/p>\n<p>The nature of this gift of peace brought by Jesus may be easier to explain by stating what it is not. It is not an end to tension or the absence of warfare. It is not domestic tranquillity nor anything like the worldly estimation of peace (Lk 12:51-53; Jn 14:27; 16:32-33). Its presence may, on the contrary, actually disturb existing relations, being a dividing “sword” in familial relations (Mt 10:34-37). Jesus’ gift of peace is, in reality, the character and mood of the new covenant of his blood that reconciles God to people (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20) and forms the basis of subsequent reconciliation between divergent people (Eph 2:14-22).<\/p>\n<p>The early church understood “peace” to be the final, end-time salvation of God given already through Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 4:7-9). This understanding of “peace” altered the content of the common greeting “go in peace” as it was taken up in the Christian community. In Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting (1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2, etc.; cf. also 1 Pt 1:2; 2 Jn 1:3; Jude 1:2; Rv 1:4), it is no longer a mere wish for peace that Paul extends to his readers but is a reminder of the messianic gifts available in the present time through Christ to the man of faith. In accord with this, Jesus is described as “peace” itself (Eph 2:14), while God, too, because of his act of reconciliation through Christ, is known as a “God of peace” (Phil 4:9; Col 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>This gift of peace or reconciliation with God, made available through Christ, places an ethical demand on the Christian; it calls for the exercises of “peace” (as reconciliation between persons) within the church. Peace, as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), is to be the goal of the Christian’s dealings with others (Rom 12:18; 14:19; Heb 12:14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"PEACE Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers. In the Old Testament Shalom, the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of conno...","summary_en":"PEACE Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers. In the Old Testament Shalom, the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of conno...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":40242,"type":"textbox","type_label":"Notă explicativă","type_icon":"💡","type_color":"#8b5cf6","title_ro":"The Christian Experience of Forgiveness","title_en":"The Christian Experience of Forgiveness","content_ro":"<h3>The Christian Experience of Forgiveness<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The Christian understanding of forgiveness has broad implications:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<li>1. It reflects the character of God as one who pardons and enters into a meaningful relationship with his creature, producing a change in human relationship with him. This has been done in the costly anguish of the cross of Christ.<\/li>\n<li>2. It expresses the efficacy of divine atonement in the reconciliation of man with God. Those who truly realize their condition as sinners know that God can remove sin and redeem sinners. This must be experienced, not just comprehended intellectually. In Christ’s death, sin is condemned and absolutely judged, and yet Christ bears the penalty on our behalf by his sacrifice.<\/li>\n<li>3. For the apostle Paul, the bare concept of forgiveness does not convey deeply enough the full consequences. Instead, he speaks of being justified. To be “treated as righteous” is a rich consequence of forgiveness (Rom 4:5), a gift of God’s grace (3:24), a present experience (1 Cor 4:4) for those who have a faith relationship with Christ (Rom 3:26). Thus, justification is the positive relationship that forgiveness provides.<\/li>\n<li>4. Forgiveness implies that God has reconciled man to himself (Eph 2:14-17). The outcome is peace with God (Phil 4:7; Col 3:15), a reconciliation accomplished by the cross (Col 1:20). This is the implication of all the references in Romans 5 to being justified, reconciled, and trusting.<\/li>\n<li>5. Forgiveness includes the theme of fellowship with God the Father (1 Thes 1:3), Son (1 Cor 1:9), and Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14). It is expressed in the Pauline phrase “in Christ” or “in the Lord” (used some 164 times), indicating a profound relationship of communion and union with God. Forgiveness as reconciliation and restoration to fellowship with God comprehends, in effect, the whole nature of the Christian life. Sanctification is its fruit, and glorification is its objective. In forgiveness, God ultimately remains God, and the erring sinner is brought home to the Father who has eternally loved him.<\/li>","content_en":"<h3>The Christian Experience of Forgiveness<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The Christian understanding of forgiveness has broad implications:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<li>1. It reflects the character of God as one who pardons and enters into a meaningful relationship with his creature, producing a change in human relationship with him. This has been done in the costly anguish of the cross of Christ.<\/li>\n<li>2. It expresses the efficacy of divine atonement in the reconciliation of man with God. Those who truly realize their condition as sinners know that God can remove sin and redeem sinners. This must be experienced, not just comprehended intellectually. In Christ’s death, sin is condemned and absolutely judged, and yet Christ bears the penalty on our behalf by his sacrifice.<\/li>\n<li>3. For the apostle Paul, the bare concept of forgiveness does not convey deeply enough the full consequences. Instead, he speaks of being justified. To be “treated as righteous” is a rich consequence of forgiveness (Rom 4:5), a gift of God’s grace (3:24), a present experience (1 Cor 4:4) for those who have a faith relationship with Christ (Rom 3:26). Thus, justification is the positive relationship that forgiveness provides.<\/li>\n<li>4. Forgiveness implies that God has reconciled man to himself (Eph 2:14-17). The outcome is peace with God (Phil 4:7; Col 3:15), a reconciliation accomplished by the cross (Col 1:20). This is the implication of all the references in Romans 5 to being justified, reconciled, and trusting.<\/li>\n<li>5. Forgiveness includes the theme of fellowship with God the Father (1 Thes 1:3), Son (1 Cor 1:9), and Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14). It is expressed in the Pauline phrase “in Christ” or “in the Lord” (used some 164 times), indicating a profound relationship of communion and union with God. Forgiveness as reconciliation and restoration to fellowship with God comprehends, in effect, the whole nature of the Christian life. Sanctification is its fruit, and glorification is its objective. In forgiveness, God ultimately remains God, and the erring sinner is brought home to the Father who has eternally loved him.<\/li>","summary_ro":"The Christian Experience of Forgiveness The Christian understanding of forgiveness has broad implications: 1. It reflects the character of God as one who pardons and enters into a meaningful relationship with his creature, producing a change in human relationship with him. This has been done in the costly anguish of the cross of Christ. 2. It expresses the efficacy of divine atonement in the reconciliation of man with God. Those who truly realize their condition as sinners know that God can r...","summary_en":"The Christian Experience of Forgiveness The Christian understanding of forgiveness has broad implications: 1. It reflects the character of God as one who pardons and enters into a meaningful relationship with his creature, producing a change in human relationship with him. This has been done in the costly anguish of the cross of Christ. 2. It expresses the efficacy of divine atonement in the reconciliation of man with God. Those who truly realize their condition as sinners know that God can r...","source":"Textboxes\/Textboxes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58285,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:7","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","summary_en":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85911,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:7","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","summary_en":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113537,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:7","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","summary_en":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141163,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:7","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:7<\/strong> The life of trusting God (4:6) brings <em>God’s peace<\/em> (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","summary_en":"4:7 The life of trusting God (4:6) brings God’s peace (see also Isa 26:3; John 14:27; Col 3:15).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"8":[{"id":30259,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58286,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:8","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","summary_en":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85912,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:8","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","summary_en":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113538,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:8","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","summary_en":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141164,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:8","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:8<\/strong> Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","summary_en":"4:8 Paul urges the Philippians to focus on God’s good gifts so that, even during suffering and persecution, their lives will be exemplary and their minds and hearts will be filled with peace (4:7, 9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"9":[{"id":29398,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Peace","title_en":"Peace","content_ro":"<h3>PEACE<\/h3>\n<p>Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of connotations (wholeness, health, security, well-being, and salvation) and could apply to an equally wide range of contexts: the state of the individual (Ps 37:37; Prv 3:2; Is 32:17), the relationship of person to person (Gn 34:21; Jos 9:15) or nation to nation (e.g., absence of conflict—Dt 2:26; Jos 10:21; 1 Kgs 5:12; Ps 122:6-7), and the relationship of God and people (Ps 85:8; Jer 16:5).<\/p>\n<p>The presence of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> in any of these contexts was not considered ultimately as the outcome of human endeavor but as a gift or blessing of God (Lv 26:6; 1 Kgs 2:33; Jb 25:2; Pss 29:11; 85:8; Is 45:7). It is not surprising, therefore, to find “peace” tied closely to the OT notion of covenant. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> was the desired state of harmony and communion between the two covenant partners—God and his people (Nm 6:26; cf. Is 54:10). Its presence signified God’s blessing in the covenant relationship (Mal 2:5; cf. Nm 25:12), and its absence signified the breakdown of that relationship due to Israel’s disobedience and unrighteousness (Jer 16:5, 10-13; cf. Ps 85:9-11; Is 32:17).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> becomes a pivotal term in the prophetic writings. It was the “false” prophets who, forgetting the conditions for national well-being within the covenant relationship, assumed God’s loyalty to Israel (Ps 89) would guarantee political peace forever (Jer 6:14; 8:15; Ez 13:10, 16; Mi 3:5). Against such popular but false security, the preexilic prophets proclaimed the coming judgment precisely as a loss of this <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> due to Israel’s persistent disobedience and unrighteousness (Is 48:18; Jer 14:13-16; 16:5, 10-13; 28; Mi 3:4, 9-12).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets did, however, point beyond the crises of exile and subsequent setbacks to a time when <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> characterized by prosperity and well-being (Is 45:7; Ez 34:25-26), absence of conflict (Is 2:2-4; 32:15-20; Ez 34:28-31), right relations (Is 11:1-5; Mi 4:1-4; Zec 8:9-13), restoration of harmony in nature (Is 11:6-9; Ez 47:1-12), and salvation (Is 52:7; 60:17; Ez 34:30-31; 37:26-28) would again return. Often this eschatological (or end-time) expectation of peace in the OT was associated with a messianic figure, as in Isaiah 9:6, where the future Messiah is termed the “Prince of Peace.” Moreover, his reign would be one of “peace” not only for Israel but throughout the whole earth (Zec 9:9-10). The OT ends with this hope of peace still unrealized in its full sense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Greek term for “peace” used predominantly in the NT is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span><em>,<\/em> a word expanded from its classical Greek connotation of “rest” to include the various connotations of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> discussed above. As with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span> could be used as a greeting or farewell (as in “peace be with you”—Lk 10:5; Gal 6:16; Jas 2:16; cf. Jn 20:19), or could signify the cessation of conflict (national—Lk 14:32; Acts 12:20; or interpersonal—Rom 14:19; Eph 4:3), or the presence of domestic tranquillity (cf. 1 Cor 7:15).<\/p>\n<p>The chief issue concerns how Jesus incorporated the OT hope for the eschatological peace of God into his ministry. In the “benedictus” of Zechariah (Lk 1:67-79), the coming of Jesus as the Messiah is expected to “guide our feet into the way of peace” (v 79). So also the angelic testimony to the shepherds proclaims Jesus as the bringer of God’s peace to people (2:14). That is, Jesus as the Messiah would usher in God’s reign of peace. Jesus’ self-understanding as expressed in the fourth Gospel corresponds to this association. This long-expected peace of God is Jesus’ farewell gift to the disciples (Jn 14:27); it is given to them when he breathed his Spirit into them (20:19-22).<\/p>\n<p>The nature of this gift of peace brought by Jesus may be easier to explain by stating what it is not. It is not an end to tension or the absence of warfare. It is not domestic tranquillity nor anything like the worldly estimation of peace (Lk 12:51-53; Jn 14:27; 16:32-33). Its presence may, on the contrary, actually disturb existing relations, being a dividing “sword” in familial relations (Mt 10:34-37). Jesus’ gift of peace is, in reality, the character and mood of the new covenant of his blood that reconciles God to people (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20) and forms the basis of subsequent reconciliation between divergent people (Eph 2:14-22).<\/p>\n<p>The early church understood “peace” to be the final, end-time salvation of God given already through Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 4:7-9). This understanding of “peace” altered the content of the common greeting “go in peace” as it was taken up in the Christian community. In Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting (1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2, etc.; cf. also 1 Pt 1:2; 2 Jn 1:3; Jude 1:2; Rv 1:4), it is no longer a mere wish for peace that Paul extends to his readers but is a reminder of the messianic gifts available in the present time through Christ to the man of faith. In accord with this, Jesus is described as “peace” itself (Eph 2:14), while God, too, because of his act of reconciliation through Christ, is known as a “God of peace” (Phil 4:9; Col 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>This gift of peace or reconciliation with God, made available through Christ, places an ethical demand on the Christian; it calls for the exercises of “peace” (as reconciliation between persons) within the church. Peace, as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), is to be the goal of the Christian’s dealings with others (Rom 12:18; 14:19; Heb 12:14).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PEACE<\/h3>\n<p>Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of connotations (wholeness, health, security, well-being, and salvation) and could apply to an equally wide range of contexts: the state of the individual (Ps 37:37; Prv 3:2; Is 32:17), the relationship of person to person (Gn 34:21; Jos 9:15) or nation to nation (e.g., absence of conflict—Dt 2:26; Jos 10:21; 1 Kgs 5:12; Ps 122:6-7), and the relationship of God and people (Ps 85:8; Jer 16:5).<\/p>\n<p>The presence of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> in any of these contexts was not considered ultimately as the outcome of human endeavor but as a gift or blessing of God (Lv 26:6; 1 Kgs 2:33; Jb 25:2; Pss 29:11; 85:8; Is 45:7). It is not surprising, therefore, to find “peace” tied closely to the OT notion of covenant. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> was the desired state of harmony and communion between the two covenant partners—God and his people (Nm 6:26; cf. Is 54:10). Its presence signified God’s blessing in the covenant relationship (Mal 2:5; cf. Nm 25:12), and its absence signified the breakdown of that relationship due to Israel’s disobedience and unrighteousness (Jer 16:5, 10-13; cf. Ps 85:9-11; Is 32:17).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shalom<\/span> becomes a pivotal term in the prophetic writings. It was the “false” prophets who, forgetting the conditions for national well-being within the covenant relationship, assumed God’s loyalty to Israel (Ps 89) would guarantee political peace forever (Jer 6:14; 8:15; Ez 13:10, 16; Mi 3:5). Against such popular but false security, the preexilic prophets proclaimed the coming judgment precisely as a loss of this <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> due to Israel’s persistent disobedience and unrighteousness (Is 48:18; Jer 14:13-16; 16:5, 10-13; 28; Mi 3:4, 9-12).<\/p>\n<p>The prophets did, however, point beyond the crises of exile and subsequent setbacks to a time when <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> characterized by prosperity and well-being (Is 45:7; Ez 34:25-26), absence of conflict (Is 2:2-4; 32:15-20; Ez 34:28-31), right relations (Is 11:1-5; Mi 4:1-4; Zec 8:9-13), restoration of harmony in nature (Is 11:6-9; Ez 47:1-12), and salvation (Is 52:7; 60:17; Ez 34:30-31; 37:26-28) would again return. Often this eschatological (or end-time) expectation of peace in the OT was associated with a messianic figure, as in Isaiah 9:6, where the future Messiah is termed the “Prince of Peace.” Moreover, his reign would be one of “peace” not only for Israel but throughout the whole earth (Zec 9:9-10). The OT ends with this hope of peace still unrealized in its full sense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Greek term for “peace” used predominantly in the NT is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span><em>,<\/em> a word expanded from its classical Greek connotation of “rest” to include the various connotations of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span> discussed above. As with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shalom<\/span><em>,<\/em> <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">eirene<\/span> could be used as a greeting or farewell (as in “peace be with you”—Lk 10:5; Gal 6:16; Jas 2:16; cf. Jn 20:19), or could signify the cessation of conflict (national—Lk 14:32; Acts 12:20; or interpersonal—Rom 14:19; Eph 4:3), or the presence of domestic tranquillity (cf. 1 Cor 7:15).<\/p>\n<p>The chief issue concerns how Jesus incorporated the OT hope for the eschatological peace of God into his ministry. In the “benedictus” of Zechariah (Lk 1:67-79), the coming of Jesus as the Messiah is expected to “guide our feet into the way of peace” (v 79). So also the angelic testimony to the shepherds proclaims Jesus as the bringer of God’s peace to people (2:14). That is, Jesus as the Messiah would usher in God’s reign of peace. Jesus’ self-understanding as expressed in the fourth Gospel corresponds to this association. This long-expected peace of God is Jesus’ farewell gift to the disciples (Jn 14:27); it is given to them when he breathed his Spirit into them (20:19-22).<\/p>\n<p>The nature of this gift of peace brought by Jesus may be easier to explain by stating what it is not. It is not an end to tension or the absence of warfare. It is not domestic tranquillity nor anything like the worldly estimation of peace (Lk 12:51-53; Jn 14:27; 16:32-33). Its presence may, on the contrary, actually disturb existing relations, being a dividing “sword” in familial relations (Mt 10:34-37). Jesus’ gift of peace is, in reality, the character and mood of the new covenant of his blood that reconciles God to people (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20) and forms the basis of subsequent reconciliation between divergent people (Eph 2:14-22).<\/p>\n<p>The early church understood “peace” to be the final, end-time salvation of God given already through Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 4:7-9). This understanding of “peace” altered the content of the common greeting “go in peace” as it was taken up in the Christian community. In Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting (1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2, etc.; cf. also 1 Pt 1:2; 2 Jn 1:3; Jude 1:2; Rv 1:4), it is no longer a mere wish for peace that Paul extends to his readers but is a reminder of the messianic gifts available in the present time through Christ to the man of faith. In accord with this, Jesus is described as “peace” itself (Eph 2:14), while God, too, because of his act of reconciliation through Christ, is known as a “God of peace” (Phil 4:9; Col 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>This gift of peace or reconciliation with God, made available through Christ, places an ethical demand on the Christian; it calls for the exercises of “peace” (as reconciliation between persons) within the church. Peace, as a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), is to be the goal of the Christian’s dealings with others (Rom 12:18; 14:19; Heb 12:14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"PEACE Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers. In the Old Testament Shalom, the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of conno...","summary_en":"PEACE Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace was conditional, based on Israel’s obedience. In the prophetic writings, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and can be experienced by the believers. In the Old Testament Shalom, the most prominent OT term for “peace,” held a wide range of conno...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30224,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58287,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:9","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","summary_en":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85913,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:9","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","summary_en":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113539,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:9","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","summary_en":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141165,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:9","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:9<\/strong> <em>all you learned and received from me:<\/em> Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","summary_en":"4:9 all you learned and received from me: Everything Paul had taught them by word or example about the kind of life God desires (see 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6, 16-17; 2 Thes 3:7-9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":66289,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Growth of the Church","title_en":"The Growth of the Church","content_ro":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","summary_en":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":93915,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Growth of the Church","title_en":"The Growth of the Church","content_ro":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","summary_en":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":121541,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Growth of the Church","title_en":"The Growth of the Church","content_ro":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","summary_en":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":149167,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Growth of the Church","title_en":"The Growth of the Church","content_ro":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Growth of the Church<\/h3>\n<p>The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was <strong>numerical growth<\/strong>. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:14; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20).<\/p>\n<p>There is also ample evidence of <strong>geographical growth<\/strong> (see 1:8; 9:15). The church was not confined to Jerusalem, as the message spread to Lydda, Sharon, and Joppa on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-43). The message of salvation in Christ also moved out from its Jewish base into Samaria (8:4-12), then into Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (11:19-26). As Peter declared to Cornelius’s household, “God shows no favoritism” (10:34). The message of Good News offers peace with God through Jesus Christ to all people (10:36).<\/p>\n<p>With the increase in numbers and the geographical spread of the faith, the Christian communities also experienced <strong>spiritual growth<\/strong> in depth and vitality. Acts 2:42-47 vividly depicts this development in the inner life of the church, featuring earnest, united prayer in crises, generous sharing of possessions, courage during persecution, and boldness in witness (4:23-31, 32-37; 5:27-33, 40-42; 16:19-25). Philip’s preaching, the manner of Stephen’s death, and Paul and Silas’s attitude in prison manifested a high standard of spiritual life and maturity (7:59-60; 8:4-40; 16:19-25). Church leaders encouraged and strengthened believers, made them more steadfast in their faith, enabled them to face persecution (14:22; 15:32, 41; 18:23; see 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12), and lived by the standards they set for others (1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9). The church’s sensitive handling of the Gentiles’ inclusion also resulted in significant spiritual (and numerical) growth: “So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day” (Acts 16:5).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 1:8, 13-15; 2:41-47; 4:4, 23-37; 5:14, 27-33, 40-42; 6:1; 7:59; 8:4-40; 9:15, 31, 35, 42; 10:34, 36; 11:19-26; 14:22; 15:32, 41; 16:5, 19-25; 18:23; 21:20; 1 Cor 4:16, 20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:5-8; 2 Thes 3:9; 2 Tim 1:8; 2:1-9; 3:12<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","summary_en":"The Growth of the Church The book of Acts outlines the church’s growth after Pentecost. In the early days there was numerical growth. After Jesus’ ascension, only 120 believers were present at the first prayer meeting seeking divine direction (Acts 1:12-15). After the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the number of Christians increased to about 3,000 (2:41). Many more believed the preaching of Peter and John, and the number grew to about 5,000 (4:4) and continued to rise (5:1...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"10":[{"id":42756,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":70382,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":98008,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":125634,"type":"profile","type_label":"Profil","type_icon":"👤","type_color":"#f59e0b","title_ro":"Philippi","title_en":"Philippi","content_ro":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Philippi<\/h3>\n<p>Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 <span>BC<\/span>, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 <span>BC<\/span> as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way for the emergence of the Roman Empire under the rule of Octavian Augustus.<\/p>\n<p>Many veterans from the war of 42 <span>BC<\/span> and other battles settled in Philippi. When Paul came to the city, it still reflected its Roman military heritage. Situated on the Egnatian Way, it was a prominent stop on that great military highway connecting the Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea. It possessed distinct civic pride as a Roman colony (enjoying numerous privileges, such as tax exemption) and promoted Latin as its official language. Its government was modeled on the municipal constitution of Rome, and the inhabitants viewed themselves as Romans (see Acts 16:21).<\/p>\n<p>Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey, and the account of Acts gives detailed attention to this visit (Acts 16:12-40). The narrative frequently refers to the city’s Roman heritage: Not only does Paul successfully employ his Roman citizenship in his defense (Acts 16:37-39), but the city magistrates bear the dignified Latin title <em>praetor<\/em> (given in its Greek translation, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">stratēgos<\/span>—Acts 16:20-22, 38). There also appears to have been a small Jewish community there. The church began with believing Jewish women who met outside the city because there was no synagogue. Later, they convened in the home of an important woman convert named Lydia (Acts 16:14-15, 40). Luke apparently stayed in Philippi when Paul departed for Thessalonica (cp. Acts 16:12, 40) and later rejoined Paul at Philippi when Paul passed through on his third missionary journey several years later (Acts 20:6). Paul wrote a cordial letter to the church at Philippi during one of his imprisonments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 16:12-40; 20:6; Phil 1:1; 2:19-30; 4:2-3, 10-22; 1 Thes 2:2<\/p>","summary_ro":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","summary_en":"Philippi Philippi was a minor village of Thrace until about 357 BC, when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered the site and rebuilt it. He named the village after himself, fortified it as a military stronghold, and exploited the nearby gold mines. Philippi gained worldwide fame in 42 BC as the site where the imperial armies of Octavian and Mark Antony defeated the republican generals Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The victory opened the way fo...","source":"Profiles.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30254,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58288,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","summary_en":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58289,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","summary_en":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85914,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","summary_en":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85915,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","summary_en":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113540,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","summary_en":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113541,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","summary_en":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141166,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10-20<\/strong> In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","summary_en":"4:10-20 In closing, Paul thanks the Philippians for the gift they had sent him by the hand of Epaphroditus.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141167,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:10","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:10<\/strong> Why they <em>didn’t have the chance to help<\/em> him earlier is not clear.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","summary_en":"4:10 Why they didn’t have the chance to help him earlier is not clear.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"11":[{"id":58290,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:11","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","summary_en":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85916,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:11","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","summary_en":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113542,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:11","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","summary_en":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141168,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:11","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:11-12<\/strong> As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to <em>be content<\/em> with <em>every situation<\/em><em>,<\/em> whether he had <em>plenty or little<\/em>. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","summary_en":"4:11-12 As a slave of Christ, Paul has learned to be content with every situation, whether he had plenty or little. His life was filled with the joy that comes from doing the will of God whatever the cost.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"12":[{"id":30210,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"13":[{"id":58291,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:13","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","summary_en":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85917,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:13","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","summary_en":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113543,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:13","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","summary_en":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141169,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:13","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:13<\/strong> <em>through Christ:<\/em> With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to <em>do everything<\/em>. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","summary_en":"4:13 through Christ: With Christ’s help, Paul had the strength to do everything. In everything, especially while enduring suffering, Paul relied on the strength of Christ, who lived in him and worked through him (see 2 Cor 1:8-10; 4:7-12; 12:8-10; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"14":[{"id":8903,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":12262,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Fellowship","title_en":"Fellowship","content_ro":"<h3>FELLOWSHIP<\/h3>\n<p>Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings.<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ultimate restoration of sinners through the work of the Redeemer (v 15).<\/p>\n<p>The OT tells how God began to draw a special people into fellowship with himself. Enoch is described as a man who walked with God (Gn 5:22, 24). Noah, likewise, walked in communion with the Lord (6:9). And Abraham, the father of Israel, is called “the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). No OT person had deeper fellowship with God than did Moses during his 40-day encounter with the Lord on Mt Sinai (Ex 24). Later in Israel’s history, David wrote psalms that reflect a heart vitally in tune with the living God (Pss 16, 34, 40, 63).<\/p>\n<p>As a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross, God now makes his permanent abode in each believer’s heart (Jn 14:23). As a result, the fellowship that now prevails under the new covenant is nothing less than the vital, spiritual union of the believer with Christ (vv 20-21). Fellowship with God is the goal of the Christian life (1 Jn 1:3), and this relationship will be perfected forever when we see our Savior “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12), when God dwells with his people in eternity (Rv 21:3).<\/p>\n<p>The gospel restores fellowship not only with God but also among believers. Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples illustrates the relationship between the vertical and horizontal dimensions of fellowship (Mk 14:22-25). In the upper room, Jesus shared with his disciples a sacred love feast. The hearts of the Lord and his followers were knit together by a deep sense of love and commitment. Later, the disciples discovered that their own hearts were strongly united out of their common loyalty to Jesus. Following the cross and the outpouring of the Spirit, the church was born—that new society of people in fellowship with God and with one another.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of camaraderie among the first Christians is portrayed in the early chapters of Acts. The believers met together in house groups for teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42, 46). So profound was their sense of togetherness that the Christians pooled their possessions and distributed them to brothers and sisters in need (2:44-45; 4:32-35). Perhaps the dominant characteristic of this early Christian fellowship was the love among the believers (1 Thes 4:9; 1 Pt 1:22).<\/p>\n<p>Motivated by love, Paul organized among the gentile churches a collection for poor believers in Jerusalem. In Romans 15:26, which speaks of the gifts of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, the word translated “contribution” is the common Greek word for “fellowship.” Similarly, the fellowship that the Philippian church shared with Paul assumed the form of gifts to support the apostle’s ministry (Phil 1:5; 4:14-15).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture uses several images to describe the spirit of togetherness that characterized the early church. The first is “the household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1 Tm 3:15), or “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). In God’s household, love and hospitality are to be the rule (Heb 13:1-2). Further, the church is depicted as the family of God on earth (Eph 3:15). God is the Father, and believers are his faithful sons and daughters. The life of God’s family is to be governed by love, tenderness, compassion, and humility (Phil 2:1-4). Finally, the Christian fellowship is represented as the “one new man” or the “one body” (Eph 2:15-16). In spite of great natural diversity in the body, the Holy Spirit binds believers together into a single organism (4:4-6). In this fellowship of love, no believer is insignificant. Each member has been endowed with gifts for the spiritual edification of the entire body.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down the basis of fellowship in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (<span>rsv<\/span>). Jesus Christ, then, is the source and fount of all spiritual communion. Only when rightly related to the Lord do we experience true fellowship with another Christian. Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so a believer can have no real fellowship with an unbeliever. Neither can the Christian be in fellowship with one who walks contrary to the teaching of Christ (2 Jn 1:9-11), or a professing brother who is immoral, idolatrous, a drunkard, or a thief (1 Cor 5:11).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down several guidelines for enhancing the communion of believers in the body: (1) Love one another with the same compassion that Christ displayed to his own (Jn 13:34-35; 15:12). The law of the fellowship should be the rule of love (Heb 13:1). (2) Cultivate that spirit of humility that seeks the other person’s honor (Phil 2:3-5). (3) Lighten fellow believers’ loads by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). (4) Share material blessings with brothers and sisters in need (2 Cor 9:13). (5) Tenderly correct a sinner while helping to find solutions to the problems (Gal 6:1). (6) Succor a fellow believer in times of suffering (1 Cor 12:26). (7) Pray for one another in the Spirit without ceasing (Eph 6:18). The Christian will want to seriously regard the saying of an anonymous saint, “You cannot draw nigh to God if you are at a distance from your brother.”<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>FELLOWSHIP<\/h3>\n<p>Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings.<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ultimate restoration of sinners through the work of the Redeemer (v 15).<\/p>\n<p>The OT tells how God began to draw a special people into fellowship with himself. Enoch is described as a man who walked with God (Gn 5:22, 24). Noah, likewise, walked in communion with the Lord (6:9). And Abraham, the father of Israel, is called “the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). No OT person had deeper fellowship with God than did Moses during his 40-day encounter with the Lord on Mt Sinai (Ex 24). Later in Israel’s history, David wrote psalms that reflect a heart vitally in tune with the living God (Pss 16, 34, 40, 63).<\/p>\n<p>As a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross, God now makes his permanent abode in each believer’s heart (Jn 14:23). As a result, the fellowship that now prevails under the new covenant is nothing less than the vital, spiritual union of the believer with Christ (vv 20-21). Fellowship with God is the goal of the Christian life (1 Jn 1:3), and this relationship will be perfected forever when we see our Savior “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12), when God dwells with his people in eternity (Rv 21:3).<\/p>\n<p>The gospel restores fellowship not only with God but also among believers. Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples illustrates the relationship between the vertical and horizontal dimensions of fellowship (Mk 14:22-25). In the upper room, Jesus shared with his disciples a sacred love feast. The hearts of the Lord and his followers were knit together by a deep sense of love and commitment. Later, the disciples discovered that their own hearts were strongly united out of their common loyalty to Jesus. Following the cross and the outpouring of the Spirit, the church was born—that new society of people in fellowship with God and with one another.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of camaraderie among the first Christians is portrayed in the early chapters of Acts. The believers met together in house groups for teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42, 46). So profound was their sense of togetherness that the Christians pooled their possessions and distributed them to brothers and sisters in need (2:44-45; 4:32-35). Perhaps the dominant characteristic of this early Christian fellowship was the love among the believers (1 Thes 4:9; 1 Pt 1:22).<\/p>\n<p>Motivated by love, Paul organized among the gentile churches a collection for poor believers in Jerusalem. In Romans 15:26, which speaks of the gifts of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, the word translated “contribution” is the common Greek word for “fellowship.” Similarly, the fellowship that the Philippian church shared with Paul assumed the form of gifts to support the apostle’s ministry (Phil 1:5; 4:14-15).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture uses several images to describe the spirit of togetherness that characterized the early church. The first is “the household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1 Tm 3:15), or “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). In God’s household, love and hospitality are to be the rule (Heb 13:1-2). Further, the church is depicted as the family of God on earth (Eph 3:15). God is the Father, and believers are his faithful sons and daughters. The life of God’s family is to be governed by love, tenderness, compassion, and humility (Phil 2:1-4). Finally, the Christian fellowship is represented as the “one new man” or the “one body” (Eph 2:15-16). In spite of great natural diversity in the body, the Holy Spirit binds believers together into a single organism (4:4-6). In this fellowship of love, no believer is insignificant. Each member has been endowed with gifts for the spiritual edification of the entire body.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down the basis of fellowship in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (<span>rsv<\/span>). Jesus Christ, then, is the source and fount of all spiritual communion. Only when rightly related to the Lord do we experience true fellowship with another Christian. Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so a believer can have no real fellowship with an unbeliever. Neither can the Christian be in fellowship with one who walks contrary to the teaching of Christ (2 Jn 1:9-11), or a professing brother who is immoral, idolatrous, a drunkard, or a thief (1 Cor 5:11).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down several guidelines for enhancing the communion of believers in the body: (1) Love one another with the same compassion that Christ displayed to his own (Jn 13:34-35; 15:12). The law of the fellowship should be the rule of love (Heb 13:1). (2) Cultivate that spirit of humility that seeks the other person’s honor (Phil 2:3-5). (3) Lighten fellow believers’ loads by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). (4) Share material blessings with brothers and sisters in need (2 Cor 9:13). (5) Tenderly correct a sinner while helping to find solutions to the problems (Gal 6:1). (6) Succor a fellow believer in times of suffering (1 Cor 12:26). (7) Pray for one another in the Spirit without ceasing (Eph 6:18). The Christian will want to seriously regard the saying of an anonymous saint, “You cannot draw nigh to God if you are at a distance from your brother.”<\/p>","summary_ro":"FELLOWSHIP Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings. In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ...","summary_en":"FELLOWSHIP Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings. In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ...","source":"Articles\/F.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30201,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58292,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:14","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","summary_en":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85918,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:14","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","summary_en":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113544,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:14","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","summary_en":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141170,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:14","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:14<\/strong> The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s <em>present difficulty<\/em> in prison.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","summary_en":"4:14 The Philippians’ generosity and care were commendable, especially given Paul’s present difficulty in prison.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"15":[{"id":6560,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Church","title_en":"Church","content_ro":"<h3>CHURCH<\/h3>\n<p>A group or assembly of persons called together for a particular purpose. The term appears in only two verses in the Gospels (Mt 16:18; 18:17) but frequently in the book of Acts, most of the letters of Paul, as well as most of the remaining NT writings, especially the Revelation of John.<\/p>\n<p>One way of referring to the body of Israel in the OT was simply “the congregation.” Groups claiming to be the true Israel spiritually rather then naturally called themselves “the congregation.” The term was used by the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as by early Christians; it is the actual meaning of the word “church.” Christians often referred to themselves simply as the church or the congregation (with “of God” being understood). The term could be applied either to all believers in the world or to any local group of them. It meant the total presence of God’s people in a given location. That is why the NT often uses the singular “church” even when many groups of believers are included together (Acts 9:31; 2 Cor 1:1); the term “churches” is rarely found (Acts 15:41; 16:5). Each group or the whole group was the place where God was present (Mt 16:18; 18:17); God had purchased the congregation with the blood of his Son (Acts 20:28). The use of the word “church” in the NT is also somewhat dependent upon the Greek world. In the Greek world the word translated “church” designated an <em>assembly<\/em> of people, a meeting, such as a regularly summoned political body, or simply a <em>gathering<\/em> of people. The word is used in such a secular way in Acts 19:32, 39, 41.<\/p>\n<p>The specifically Christian usages of this concept vary considerably in the NT. (1) In analogy to the OT, it sometimes refers to a church meeting, as when Paul says to the Christians in Corinth: “When you meet as a church . . .” (1 Cor 11:18). This means that Christians are the people of God especially when they are gathered for worship. (2) In texts such as Matthew 18:17, Acts 5:11, 1 Corinthians 4:17, and Philippians 4:15, “church” refers to the entire group of Christians living in one place. Often, the local character of a Christian congregation is emphasized, as in the phrases, “the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1), “in Corinth” (1 Cor 1:2), “in Thessalonica” (1 Thes 1:1). (3) In other texts, house assemblies of Christians are called churches, such as those who met in the house of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19). (4) Throughout the NT, “the church” designates the universal church, to which all believers belong (see Acts 9:31; 1 Cor 6:4; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18). Jesus’ first word about the founding of the Christian movement in Matthew 16:18 has this larger meaning: “I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (<span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The church, both as a universal reality and in its local, concrete expression, is more specifically designated in Paul’s writings as “the church of God” (e.g., 1 Cor 1:2; 10:32) or “the churches of Christ” (Rom 16:16). In this way a common, secular Greek term receives its distinctive Christian meaning and sets the Christian assembly\/ gathering\/community apart from all other secular or religious groups.<\/p>\n<p>It is clear from the NT as a whole that the Christian community understood itself as the community of the end time, as the community called into being by God’s end-time act of revelation and divine presence in Jesus of Nazareth. So Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that they are those “upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). That is, God had visited his creation, had called out of both Judaism and the gentile world a new people, empowered by his Spirit to be present in the world, sharing the Good News (gospel) of his radical, unconditional love for his creation (Eph 2:11-22). The Gospels tell us that Jesus chose 12 disciples who became the foundation of this new people. The correspondence to the 12 tribes of Israel is clear, and it shows that the church was understood both as grounded in Judaism and as the fulfillment of God’s intention in calling Israel to become “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is 49:6, <span>rsv<\/span>; Rom 11:1-5). It is this recognition that allows Paul to call this new Gentile-Jewish community, this new creation, “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:15-16). In this new community the traditional barriers of race, social standing, and sex—barriers that divided people from one another and categorized them into inferior and superior classes—are seen to be shattered: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28, <span>niv<\/span>). This one entity is called “the body of Christ.”<\/p>\n<p>Paul is alone among NT writers in speaking of the church as Christ’s body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22-23; 4:12; see also 1 Cor 10:16-17; 12:12-13), or as “the body” of which Christ is the “head” (Eph 4:15; Col 1:18). The origin of this way of speaking about the church is not clear. Among a number of suggestions, two are particularly revealing about Paul’s thought: (1) The Damascus road experience. According to the accounts in Acts (9:3-7; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Jesus identifies himself with his persecuted disciples. By persecuting these early Christians, Paul was actually fighting against Christ himself. It is possible that later reflection on this experience led Paul to the conviction that the living Christ was so identified with his community that it could be spoken of as his “body,” that is, the concrete expression of his real presence. (2) The Hebrew concept of corporate solidarity. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil 3:5), and his thinking was thoroughly Jewish. In that context, the individual is largely thought of as intimately tied into the nation as a whole; the individual does not have real existence apart from the whole people. At the same time, the entire people can be seen as represented by one individual. Thus, “Israel” is both the name of one individual and the name of a whole people. The “servant” of Isaiah 42–53 can be both an individual (Is 42:1-4) and the nation of Israel (49:1-6). This idea of corporate solidarity (or personality) is the background for the intimate connection Paul makes between “the first Adam” and sinful humanity as well as between “the last (or second) Adam” (Christ) and renewed humanity (1 Cor 15:45-49; see also Rom 5:12-21).<\/p>\n<p>The reality of the intimate relation between Christ and his church is thus expressed by Paul as the organic unity and integration of the physical body (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12-27). For Paul, the Lord’s Supper is a specific manifestation of this reality: “The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:16b-17, <span>rsv<\/span>). Since this is the case, Paul goes on to argue, all the functions of the body have their legitimate and rightful place. Division within the body (i.e., the church) reveals that there is something unhealthy within. It is this image of the church as the “body of Christ” that lies behind Paul’s repeated call for and insistence upon unity within the Christian community.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>CHURCH<\/h3>\n<p>A group or assembly of persons called together for a particular purpose. The term appears in only two verses in the Gospels (Mt 16:18; 18:17) but frequently in the book of Acts, most of the letters of Paul, as well as most of the remaining NT writings, especially the Revelation of John.<\/p>\n<p>One way of referring to the body of Israel in the OT was simply “the congregation.” Groups claiming to be the true Israel spiritually rather then naturally called themselves “the congregation.” The term was used by the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as by early Christians; it is the actual meaning of the word “church.” Christians often referred to themselves simply as the church or the congregation (with “of God” being understood). The term could be applied either to all believers in the world or to any local group of them. It meant the total presence of God’s people in a given location. That is why the NT often uses the singular “church” even when many groups of believers are included together (Acts 9:31; 2 Cor 1:1); the term “churches” is rarely found (Acts 15:41; 16:5). Each group or the whole group was the place where God was present (Mt 16:18; 18:17); God had purchased the congregation with the blood of his Son (Acts 20:28). The use of the word “church” in the NT is also somewhat dependent upon the Greek world. In the Greek world the word translated “church” designated an <em>assembly<\/em> of people, a meeting, such as a regularly summoned political body, or simply a <em>gathering<\/em> of people. The word is used in such a secular way in Acts 19:32, 39, 41.<\/p>\n<p>The specifically Christian usages of this concept vary considerably in the NT. (1) In analogy to the OT, it sometimes refers to a church meeting, as when Paul says to the Christians in Corinth: “When you meet as a church . . .” (1 Cor 11:18). This means that Christians are the people of God especially when they are gathered for worship. (2) In texts such as Matthew 18:17, Acts 5:11, 1 Corinthians 4:17, and Philippians 4:15, “church” refers to the entire group of Christians living in one place. Often, the local character of a Christian congregation is emphasized, as in the phrases, “the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1), “in Corinth” (1 Cor 1:2), “in Thessalonica” (1 Thes 1:1). (3) In other texts, house assemblies of Christians are called churches, such as those who met in the house of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19). (4) Throughout the NT, “the church” designates the universal church, to which all believers belong (see Acts 9:31; 1 Cor 6:4; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18). Jesus’ first word about the founding of the Christian movement in Matthew 16:18 has this larger meaning: “I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (<span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The church, both as a universal reality and in its local, concrete expression, is more specifically designated in Paul’s writings as “the church of God” (e.g., 1 Cor 1:2; 10:32) or “the churches of Christ” (Rom 16:16). In this way a common, secular Greek term receives its distinctive Christian meaning and sets the Christian assembly\/ gathering\/community apart from all other secular or religious groups.<\/p>\n<p>It is clear from the NT as a whole that the Christian community understood itself as the community of the end time, as the community called into being by God’s end-time act of revelation and divine presence in Jesus of Nazareth. So Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that they are those “upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). That is, God had visited his creation, had called out of both Judaism and the gentile world a new people, empowered by his Spirit to be present in the world, sharing the Good News (gospel) of his radical, unconditional love for his creation (Eph 2:11-22). The Gospels tell us that Jesus chose 12 disciples who became the foundation of this new people. The correspondence to the 12 tribes of Israel is clear, and it shows that the church was understood both as grounded in Judaism and as the fulfillment of God’s intention in calling Israel to become “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is 49:6, <span>rsv<\/span>; Rom 11:1-5). It is this recognition that allows Paul to call this new Gentile-Jewish community, this new creation, “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:15-16). In this new community the traditional barriers of race, social standing, and sex—barriers that divided people from one another and categorized them into inferior and superior classes—are seen to be shattered: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28, <span>niv<\/span>). This one entity is called “the body of Christ.”<\/p>\n<p>Paul is alone among NT writers in speaking of the church as Christ’s body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22-23; 4:12; see also 1 Cor 10:16-17; 12:12-13), or as “the body” of which Christ is the “head” (Eph 4:15; Col 1:18). The origin of this way of speaking about the church is not clear. Among a number of suggestions, two are particularly revealing about Paul’s thought: (1) The Damascus road experience. According to the accounts in Acts (9:3-7; 22:6-11; 26:12-18), Jesus identifies himself with his persecuted disciples. By persecuting these early Christians, Paul was actually fighting against Christ himself. It is possible that later reflection on this experience led Paul to the conviction that the living Christ was so identified with his community that it could be spoken of as his “body,” that is, the concrete expression of his real presence. (2) The Hebrew concept of corporate solidarity. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil 3:5), and his thinking was thoroughly Jewish. In that context, the individual is largely thought of as intimately tied into the nation as a whole; the individual does not have real existence apart from the whole people. At the same time, the entire people can be seen as represented by one individual. Thus, “Israel” is both the name of one individual and the name of a whole people. The “servant” of Isaiah 42–53 can be both an individual (Is 42:1-4) and the nation of Israel (49:1-6). This idea of corporate solidarity (or personality) is the background for the intimate connection Paul makes between “the first Adam” and sinful humanity as well as between “the last (or second) Adam” (Christ) and renewed humanity (1 Cor 15:45-49; see also Rom 5:12-21).<\/p>\n<p>The reality of the intimate relation between Christ and his church is thus expressed by Paul as the organic unity and integration of the physical body (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12-27). For Paul, the Lord’s Supper is a specific manifestation of this reality: “The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:16b-17, <span>rsv<\/span>). Since this is the case, Paul goes on to argue, all the functions of the body have their legitimate and rightful place. Division within the body (i.e., the church) reveals that there is something unhealthy within. It is this image of the church as the “body of Christ” that lies behind Paul’s repeated call for and insistence upon unity within the Christian community.<\/p>","summary_ro":"CHURCH A group or assembly of persons called together for a particular purpose. The term appears in only two verses in the Gospels (Mt 16:18; 18:17) but frequently in the book of Acts, most of the letters of Paul, as well as most of the remaining NT writings, especially the Revelation of John. One way of referring to the body of Israel in the OT was simply “the congregation.” Groups claiming to be the true Israel spiritually rather then naturally called themselves “the congregation.” The term...","summary_en":"CHURCH A group or assembly of persons called together for a particular purpose. The term appears in only two verses in the Gospels (Mt 16:18; 18:17) but frequently in the book of Acts, most of the letters of Paul, as well as most of the remaining NT writings, especially the Revelation of John. One way of referring to the body of Israel in the OT was simply “the congregation.” Groups claiming to be the true Israel spiritually rather then naturally called themselves “the congregation.” The term...","source":"Articles\/C.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58293,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:15","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","summary_en":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85919,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:15","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","summary_en":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113545,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:15","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","summary_en":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141171,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:15","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:15<\/strong> <em>the only ones who gave me financial help:<\/em> By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • <em>when I first brought you the Good News:<\/em> See Acts 16:11-40.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","summary_en":"4:15 the only ones who gave me financial help: By contrast, Paul determined not to accept financial help from the Corinthians because it would have damaged the reputation of the Good News in their eyes (1 Cor 9:11-18; 2 Cor 11:7-12). He did not face such a problem with the Philippians. • when I first brought you the Good News: See Acts 16:11-40.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67479,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Work and Patronage","title_en":"Work and Patronage","content_ro":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","summary_en":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95105,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Work and Patronage","title_en":"Work and Patronage","content_ro":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","summary_en":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122731,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Work and Patronage","title_en":"Work and Patronage","content_ro":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","summary_en":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150357,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Work and Patronage","title_en":"Work and Patronage","content_ro":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Work and Patronage<\/h3>\n<p>When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others.<\/p>\n<p>Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teaching about the coming of the Lord, however, never contradicted his basic instruction about the necessity of work (2 Thes 3:6, 10).<\/p>\n<p>These idle Christians may have been clients of prominent patrons. Patronage was a fundamental feature of the Roman economic world. Rich patrons often supported numerous clients in various ways, such as by giving them food or money and by representing them in public assembly. Having numerous clients increased the honor of a patron. However, being a client brought social obligations that Paul would have wanted the Thessalonian believers to avoid, especially because their patrons were most likely non-Christians.<\/p>\n<p>Paul set for the Thessalonians an example of self-reliance. While he was among them, he supported himself (1 Thes 2:9; 2 Thes 3:7-9). Although Paul believed that “those who work deserve to be fed” (see Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16), he did not receive support from the Thessalonians (he did accept offerings from the Philippians, Phil 4:15-16). Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that he did not come to them as a smooth talker hoping for monetary gain (1 Thes 2:5, 9). He wanted them to understand from his example how they themselves should live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13-16; Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thes 2:5, 9; 4:11-12; 5:14; 2 Thes 3:6-10<\/p>","summary_ro":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","summary_en":"Work and Patronage When Paul first visited Thessalonica, he taught the believers to work for a living rather than being unnecessarily dependent on others. Yet some of the Thessalonians refused to work. Paul dealt with these idle Christians in his first letter to them (1 Thes 4:11-12; 5:14), but they remained entrenched and had not changed their ways. Why did they refuse to work? Possibly, these believers so vividly expected a quick return of the Lord that they gave up all work. Paul’s teachin...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"16":[{"id":37181,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to the Thessalonians","title_en":"First Letter to the Thessalonians","content_ro":"<h3>THESSALONIANS, First Letter to the<\/h3>\n<p>Paul’s first epistle to the church at Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author(s)<\/p>\n<p>• Date, Origin, and Destination<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Authors\">Author(s)<\/p>\n<p>The names of Paul, Silas (Greek “Silvanus”), and Timothy stand at the head of this letter, and as with other letters of Paul, his coworkers may have had some share in the writing of the letter. Often the plural pronouns “we” and “us” are retained, but “I, Paul” (1 Thes 2:18) and the singular pronoun in other places (see 3:5; 5:27) show that the letter was essentially Paul’s. From the 19th century, a few scholars have questioned the Pauline authorship of the epistle, but without convincing reasons. The issues dealt with in this letter are manifestly issues faced by a church in the earliest stages of its existence. In the light of differences of expression between this and other Pauline letters, some have suggested that Silvanus or Timothy may have had a significant part in writing it, but that is uncertain. The early church had no doubts about the authorship of the letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateOriginandDestination\">Date, Origin, and Destination<\/p>\n<p>The letter is addressed specifically to “the church of the Thessalonians” (1:1). According to Acts 17:1-9, Paul, with Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy, in the course of their missionary work in the Roman province of Macedonia, came from Philippi to Thessalonica. He went first, as was his custom, to the synagogue, and for three Sabbaths explained and proved from the Scriptures that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, declaring that Jesus was the Christ. Some Jews believed in Jesus as their Messiah, as did many God-fearing Greeks and several prominent women. But then the Jews stirred up opposition, so that Paul and his coworkers had to leave Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>The actual time spent in Thessalonica was probably more than three weeks. In this letter Paul speaks of working for his support so as not to burden the Thessalonians (1 Thes 2:9). References concerning his actions and attitudes among them imply a longer time, and Philippians 4:16 speaks of the Philippian Christians twice sending help to Paul in Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>With Silas, and presumably Timothy, Paul went on to Berea, and his coworkers stayed there when Paul proceeded to Athens (Acts 17:10-15). When Timothy joined Paul at Athens, Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonian Christians because he was concerned about how they were faring against their opposition. Timothy returned from Thessalonica with good news. Subsequently, Paul wrote this letter.<\/p>\n<p>Acts 18:5 speaks of Timothy and Silas coming back from Macedonia to the apostle in Corinth. It was probably from Corinth, in the early part of his 18-month stay, that Paul wrote this letter. Since his work in Corinth can be approximately dated, this epistle was probably written early in the year 50, in all likelihood about a year after the first preaching of the gospel in Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Purpose\">Purpose<\/p>\n<p>Timothy’s report of the situation in Thessalonica motivated Paul to write this letter. Possibly Timothy brought a letter from the Thessalonians. This is suggested by the way Paul introduced certain subjects (“concerning brotherly love,” 4:9; “concerning those who are asleep,” 4:13; “as to the times and the seasons,” 5:1) and then said that he didn’t need to write to them about these things. There were several reasons why Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:<\/p>\n<p>1. He wanted to commend the Thessalonian Christians for their faith and devotion, which had become widely known as an example to others (1:7-10).<\/p>\n<li>2. He realized that the persecution he had faced in Thessalonica had continued for those he left behind, and he wanted to encourage them to stand fast (2:13-16). He had feared for them but was delighted by the news of their steadfastness (3:1-10).<\/li>\n<li>3. There were those who had been misrepresenting the apostle in Thessalonica, perhaps the Jews who had initiated opposition to him when he was there (Acts 17:5). They probably said that he was only a religious charlatan who had turned them away from their religion to his new faith, and they would never see him again. So the apostle reminded them of his methods and attitudes among them (1 Thes 2:1-12) and told of his desires and plans to see them again (vv 17-18).<\/li>\n<li>4. It was necessary also to urge the Thessalonian Christians to live true to Christian standards, especially in the matter of sexual morality (4:1-8). Other matters concerning their way of life and their relationships within the Christian fellowship also needed attention (4:9-12; 5:12-22).<\/li>\n<li>5. Another major concern was to deal with the misconceptions of the Thessalonian Christians regarding those who had died and the second coming of the Lord (4:13-18). In relation to the future hope, there was also the question of “the times and the seasons,” and Paul repeated the teaching he had given when among them (5:1-11).<\/li>\n<li>6. There may also have been a danger of disunity that led the apostle to emphasize the fellowship of all believers (5:27), to urge them not to disparage any spiritual gifts (vv 19-21), and not to fail in respecting their leaders (v 12).<\/li>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Response to the Gospel (1:2-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul prayed with gratitude that in their lives the fruits of faith, love, and hope were evident. The gospel had come to them in the power of the Holy Spirit, backed by the lives of its messengers. Even though receiving the gospel had involved suffering, their faith was an example to the Christians of the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. The Thessalonians had turned to the living God from idols, indicating that most of the believers were Gentiles rather than Jews.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in Thessalonica (2:1-12)<\/h5>\n<p>Because of false accusations made about him, Paul found it necessary to defend his ministry. He had come from an experience of persecution in Philippi and had to face “great opposition” in Thessalonica. There was no guile in his trying to persuade them of the gospel’s truth. That gospel was entrusted to him by God, and his one desire was to communicate it to them in all integrity.<\/p>\n<h5>Their Acceptance of the Gospel (2:13-16)<\/h5>\n<p>The Thessalonians had accepted the gospel as “the word of God” and had suffered at the hands of their own people. Such persecutors must face the righteous judgment of God.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Continuing Concern for Them (2:17-20)<\/h5>\n<p>If Paul’s accusers were saying that the Thessalonians would never see him again, he could give the assurance that he had often wanted to return but had been prevented. In saying “Satan hindered us,” Paul may have been referring to the incident in which Jason was compelled to promise the authorities that Paul would leave the city and not return (Acts 17:9). In any case, the Thessalonian Christians are his “glory and joy.” His delight will be for them to stand “before our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.”<\/p>\n<h5>Timothy’s Mission (3:1-5)<\/h5>\n<p>Fearful for the Thessalonian Christians facing persecution, Paul was willing to be left alone in the work of the gospel in Athens (see Acts 17:16-34) and sent Timothy to encourage and support them in all their “afflictions.” Paul reiterated that Christians must always be prepared to face suffering.<\/p>\n<h5>The Good News That Timothy Brought (3:6-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul himself had continued to have “distress and affliction” in the gospel’s cause, but the news of their faith and love had revived his spirit and given him great cause for thanksgiving to God. He was praying that he might see them again and strengthen them further in faith.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Prayer (3:11-13)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul’s prayer was that God might return him to his friends in Thessalonica, and that they might overflow with love and be established in holiness of life, so as to appear “blameless, and holy when [they] stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him” (3:13, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h5>Exhortation to Purity of Life (4:1-8)<\/h5>\n<p>Holiness, not immorality, and sanctification, not uncleanness, are the Christian’s calling. Paul stressed this by saying that living in a contrary way demonstrated disregard for the Holy Spirit. Christian standards must be utterly different from the prevailing standards among the heathen who don’t know God. For example, sexual relationships must not be determined by lust but expressed in holiness and honor within the bonds of marriage.<\/p>\n<h5>Practical Exhortation (4:9-12)<\/h5>\n<p>The Christian duty of mutual love had been demonstrated in Thessalonica, but Paul asked that it be shown in increasing measure. He exhorted them to live quietly and work for their living, and to not be dependent on others for support.<\/p>\n<h5>What Happened to Those Who Had Died Since Becoming Believers (4:13-18)<\/h5>\n<p>The Thessalonians may have written Paul about this issue. Paul told them they didn’t need to grieve, as those without hope, for their loved ones who had died. Those who are alive and those who have died will share together in the joy and triumph of the Lord’s return. Those who have died “will rise first”; those who are alive on earth will be caught up to meet their Master; then together, living and departed, “shall always be with the Lord.” With that assurance they can “comfort one another.”<\/p>\n<h5>Living in Readiness for the Lord’s Coming (5:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>Perhaps further questions had been asked about “the times and the seasons” in relation to the Second Coming. Neither they nor anyone else knows the time. The Lord will come unexpectedly like “a thief in the night.” What matters, therefore, is that Christians should never be complacent but ready at all times, living as “children of the day,” so that, waking or sleeping, “we might live with him.”<\/p>\n<h5>Other Christian Duties (5:12-22)<\/h5>\n<p>In the last main section of the letter, Paul urged the Thessalonian Christians to respect their leaders and to acknowledge their oversight; to live at peace, in unity; to do and encourage all that is good. The will of God for the Christian life is constant joy, prayer, and praise. The Holy Spirit is not to be quenched, the gift of prophecy is not to be despised, but all things claiming to be of God must be tested, so that the good can be embraced and the evil rejected.<\/p>\n<h5>Conclusion (5:23-28)<\/h5>\n<p>The final prayer of the letter is for their holiness of life, so that they may stand “blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Pray for us” is the apostle’s plea. Greetings are to be passed on and the letter read to all the believers.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eschatology; Paul, The Apostle; Second Coming of Christ; Thessalonians, Second Letter to the; Thessalonica.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>THESSALONIANS, First Letter to the<\/h3>\n<p>Paul’s first epistle to the church at Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author(s)<\/p>\n<p>• Date, Origin, and Destination<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Authors\">Author(s)<\/p>\n<p>The names of Paul, Silas (Greek “Silvanus”), and Timothy stand at the head of this letter, and as with other letters of Paul, his coworkers may have had some share in the writing of the letter. Often the plural pronouns “we” and “us” are retained, but “I, Paul” (1 Thes 2:18) and the singular pronoun in other places (see 3:5; 5:27) show that the letter was essentially Paul’s. From the 19th century, a few scholars have questioned the Pauline authorship of the epistle, but without convincing reasons. The issues dealt with in this letter are manifestly issues faced by a church in the earliest stages of its existence. In the light of differences of expression between this and other Pauline letters, some have suggested that Silvanus or Timothy may have had a significant part in writing it, but that is uncertain. The early church had no doubts about the authorship of the letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateOriginandDestination\">Date, Origin, and Destination<\/p>\n<p>The letter is addressed specifically to “the church of the Thessalonians” (1:1). According to Acts 17:1-9, Paul, with Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy, in the course of their missionary work in the Roman province of Macedonia, came from Philippi to Thessalonica. He went first, as was his custom, to the synagogue, and for three Sabbaths explained and proved from the Scriptures that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, declaring that Jesus was the Christ. Some Jews believed in Jesus as their Messiah, as did many God-fearing Greeks and several prominent women. But then the Jews stirred up opposition, so that Paul and his coworkers had to leave Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>The actual time spent in Thessalonica was probably more than three weeks. In this letter Paul speaks of working for his support so as not to burden the Thessalonians (1 Thes 2:9). References concerning his actions and attitudes among them imply a longer time, and Philippians 4:16 speaks of the Philippian Christians twice sending help to Paul in Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p>With Silas, and presumably Timothy, Paul went on to Berea, and his coworkers stayed there when Paul proceeded to Athens (Acts 17:10-15). When Timothy joined Paul at Athens, Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonian Christians because he was concerned about how they were faring against their opposition. Timothy returned from Thessalonica with good news. Subsequently, Paul wrote this letter.<\/p>\n<p>Acts 18:5 speaks of Timothy and Silas coming back from Macedonia to the apostle in Corinth. It was probably from Corinth, in the early part of his 18-month stay, that Paul wrote this letter. Since his work in Corinth can be approximately dated, this epistle was probably written early in the year 50, in all likelihood about a year after the first preaching of the gospel in Thessalonica.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Purpose\">Purpose<\/p>\n<p>Timothy’s report of the situation in Thessalonica motivated Paul to write this letter. Possibly Timothy brought a letter from the Thessalonians. This is suggested by the way Paul introduced certain subjects (“concerning brotherly love,” 4:9; “concerning those who are asleep,” 4:13; “as to the times and the seasons,” 5:1) and then said that he didn’t need to write to them about these things. There were several reasons why Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:<\/p>\n<p>1. He wanted to commend the Thessalonian Christians for their faith and devotion, which had become widely known as an example to others (1:7-10).<\/p>\n<li>2. He realized that the persecution he had faced in Thessalonica had continued for those he left behind, and he wanted to encourage them to stand fast (2:13-16). He had feared for them but was delighted by the news of their steadfastness (3:1-10).<\/li>\n<li>3. There were those who had been misrepresenting the apostle in Thessalonica, perhaps the Jews who had initiated opposition to him when he was there (Acts 17:5). They probably said that he was only a religious charlatan who had turned them away from their religion to his new faith, and they would never see him again. So the apostle reminded them of his methods and attitudes among them (1 Thes 2:1-12) and told of his desires and plans to see them again (vv 17-18).<\/li>\n<li>4. It was necessary also to urge the Thessalonian Christians to live true to Christian standards, especially in the matter of sexual morality (4:1-8). Other matters concerning their way of life and their relationships within the Christian fellowship also needed attention (4:9-12; 5:12-22).<\/li>\n<li>5. Another major concern was to deal with the misconceptions of the Thessalonian Christians regarding those who had died and the second coming of the Lord (4:13-18). In relation to the future hope, there was also the question of “the times and the seasons,” and Paul repeated the teaching he had given when among them (5:1-11).<\/li>\n<li>6. There may also have been a danger of disunity that led the apostle to emphasize the fellowship of all believers (5:27), to urge them not to disparage any spiritual gifts (vv 19-21), and not to fail in respecting their leaders (v 12).<\/li>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Response to the Gospel (1:2-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul prayed with gratitude that in their lives the fruits of faith, love, and hope were evident. The gospel had come to them in the power of the Holy Spirit, backed by the lives of its messengers. Even though receiving the gospel had involved suffering, their faith was an example to the Christians of the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. The Thessalonians had turned to the living God from idols, indicating that most of the believers were Gentiles rather than Jews.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Defense of His Ministry in Thessalonica (2:1-12)<\/h5>\n<p>Because of false accusations made about him, Paul found it necessary to defend his ministry. He had come from an experience of persecution in Philippi and had to face “great opposition” in Thessalonica. There was no guile in his trying to persuade them of the gospel’s truth. That gospel was entrusted to him by God, and his one desire was to communicate it to them in all integrity.<\/p>\n<h5>Their Acceptance of the Gospel (2:13-16)<\/h5>\n<p>The Thessalonians had accepted the gospel as “the word of God” and had suffered at the hands of their own people. Such persecutors must face the righteous judgment of God.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Continuing Concern for Them (2:17-20)<\/h5>\n<p>If Paul’s accusers were saying that the Thessalonians would never see him again, he could give the assurance that he had often wanted to return but had been prevented. In saying “Satan hindered us,” Paul may have been referring to the incident in which Jason was compelled to promise the authorities that Paul would leave the city and not return (Acts 17:9). In any case, the Thessalonian Christians are his “glory and joy.” His delight will be for them to stand “before our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.”<\/p>\n<h5>Timothy’s Mission (3:1-5)<\/h5>\n<p>Fearful for the Thessalonian Christians facing persecution, Paul was willing to be left alone in the work of the gospel in Athens (see Acts 17:16-34) and sent Timothy to encourage and support them in all their “afflictions.” Paul reiterated that Christians must always be prepared to face suffering.<\/p>\n<h5>The Good News That Timothy Brought (3:6-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul himself had continued to have “distress and affliction” in the gospel’s cause, but the news of their faith and love had revived his spirit and given him great cause for thanksgiving to God. He was praying that he might see them again and strengthen them further in faith.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Prayer (3:11-13)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul’s prayer was that God might return him to his friends in Thessalonica, and that they might overflow with love and be established in holiness of life, so as to appear “blameless, and holy when [they] stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him” (3:13, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h5>Exhortation to Purity of Life (4:1-8)<\/h5>\n<p>Holiness, not immorality, and sanctification, not uncleanness, are the Christian’s calling. Paul stressed this by saying that living in a contrary way demonstrated disregard for the Holy Spirit. Christian standards must be utterly different from the prevailing standards among the heathen who don’t know God. For example, sexual relationships must not be determined by lust but expressed in holiness and honor within the bonds of marriage.<\/p>\n<h5>Practical Exhortation (4:9-12)<\/h5>\n<p>The Christian duty of mutual love had been demonstrated in Thessalonica, but Paul asked that it be shown in increasing measure. He exhorted them to live quietly and work for their living, and to not be dependent on others for support.<\/p>\n<h5>What Happened to Those Who Had Died Since Becoming Believers (4:13-18)<\/h5>\n<p>The Thessalonians may have written Paul about this issue. Paul told them they didn’t need to grieve, as those without hope, for their loved ones who had died. Those who are alive and those who have died will share together in the joy and triumph of the Lord’s return. Those who have died “will rise first”; those who are alive on earth will be caught up to meet their Master; then together, living and departed, “shall always be with the Lord.” With that assurance they can “comfort one another.”<\/p>\n<h5>Living in Readiness for the Lord’s Coming (5:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>Perhaps further questions had been asked about “the times and the seasons” in relation to the Second Coming. Neither they nor anyone else knows the time. The Lord will come unexpectedly like “a thief in the night.” What matters, therefore, is that Christians should never be complacent but ready at all times, living as “children of the day,” so that, waking or sleeping, “we might live with him.”<\/p>\n<h5>Other Christian Duties (5:12-22)<\/h5>\n<p>In the last main section of the letter, Paul urged the Thessalonian Christians to respect their leaders and to acknowledge their oversight; to live at peace, in unity; to do and encourage all that is good. The will of God for the Christian life is constant joy, prayer, and praise. The Holy Spirit is not to be quenched, the gift of prophecy is not to be despised, but all things claiming to be of God must be tested, so that the good can be embraced and the evil rejected.<\/p>\n<h5>Conclusion (5:23-28)<\/h5>\n<p>The final prayer of the letter is for their holiness of life, so that they may stand “blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Pray for us” is the apostle’s plea. Greetings are to be passed on and the letter read to all the believers.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eschatology; Paul, The Apostle; Second Coming of Christ; Thessalonians, Second Letter to the; Thessalonica.<\/p>","summary_ro":"THESSALONIANS, First Letter to the Paul’s first epistle to the church at Thessalonica. Preview • Author(s) • Date, Origin, and Destination • Purpose • Content Author(s) The names of Paul, Silas (Greek “Silvanus”), and Timothy stand at the head of this letter, and as with other letters of Paul, his coworkers may have had some share in the writing of the letter. Often the plural pronouns “we” and “us” are retained, but “I, Paul” (1 Thes 2:18) and the singular pronoun in other places (see 3:5; 5...","summary_en":"THESSALONIANS, First Letter to the Paul’s first epistle to the church at Thessalonica. Preview • Author(s) • Date, Origin, and Destination • Purpose • Content Author(s) The names of Paul, Silas (Greek “Silvanus”), and Timothy stand at the head of this letter, and as with other letters of Paul, his coworkers may have had some share in the writing of the letter. Often the plural pronouns “we” and “us” are retained, but “I, Paul” (1 Thes 2:18) and the singular pronoun in other places (see 3:5; 5...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58294,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:16","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","summary_en":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85920,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:16","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","summary_en":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113546,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:16","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","summary_en":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141172,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:16","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to <em>Thessalonica<\/em> (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","summary_en":"4:16 After leaving Philippi (4:15) Paul had gone to Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-8; cp. 1 Thes 2:1-14).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"17":[{"id":30260,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58295,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:17","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:17","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","summary_en":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85921,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:17","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:17","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","summary_en":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113547,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:17","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:17","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","summary_en":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141173,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:17","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:17","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:17<\/strong> <em>I don’t say this because I want a gift from you:<\/em> Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The <em>reward<\/em> would be a blessing from God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","summary_en":"4:17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you: Paul preferred to support himself (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor 4:12; 9:3-18; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 12:14-15). • The reward would be a blessing from God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"18":[{"id":7317,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Communication","title_en":"Communication","content_ro":"<h3>COMMUNICATION<\/h3>\n<p>The act of transmitting a message. Fire, light, and smoke signals were probably the earliest methods of communicating over any distance. The Babylonians were the first to employ a primitive heliograph system (reflected sunlight) for signaling over short distances. A classic use of fire beacons was related by Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist, who described the news of the fall of Troy being relayed to Clytemnestra of Mycenae (c. 1084 <span>BC<\/span>) by a dozen or more fires lighted on mountaintops. Similarly, the Lachish letters mention the use of fire signals to coordinate Israel’s defense against the Babylonians in 587 <span>BC<\/span>. One letter concludes, “Let my lord know that we are watching for the fire signals of Lachish according to the signs my lord has given, because we do not see Azekah” (see Jer 6:1; 34:7). Later, fire signals were communicated from lighthouses such as the famous one at Alexandria, Egypt.<\/p>\n<p>Projected sounds have been used as a means of communication for thousands of years. Around 550 <span>BC<\/span>, Cyrus of Persia built a network of towers from which a soldier shouted a message to a soldier in a nearby tower. According to legend, Alexander the Great had a giant megaphone that could carry a voice several miles. The historian Severus said that the Romans had brass speaking tubes to aid in defense along the northern wall in England. The Hebrews used the <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shofar<\/span><em>,<\/em> a ram’s horn trumpet, to announce the new moon, the beginning of the Sabbath, and the approach of danger (Jos 6:4; Jgs 7:16; Hos 8:1). Also, drum tattoos were used in communication. Even today Ashanti drummers in Ghana can render high and low tones that correspond to the tonal values of their language.<\/p>\n<p>Archaeological excavations have uncovered thousands of ancient business and family letters written on clay tablets. As early as 2000 <span>BC<\/span> the Assyrians maintained an informal postal service with eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor), using the caravans that frequently went between them. Later, Assyrian roads used by the army were also traveled by royal messengers of an efficient government mail service. A network of postal officials stationed in key population centers supervised the couriers and the mail. Clay tablets listing the place-names along a given route and the distances between them served as travel guides. Many royal letters of Assyria and other parts of the Middle East now help to reconstruct ancient history.<\/p>\n<p>After the Persians ascended to power, they expanded the Assyrians’ postal service. The Persian “royal road” was built for government messengers, but it was open to all. It extended more than 1,600 miles (2,574 kilometers) from Sardis in Asia Minor to Susa, the Persian capital located near the head of the Persian Gulf (Est 3:13; 8:10). Royalty and officials traveling that highway found rest houses and inns about 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart, forts at strategic points, and ferries for river crossings. Ordinary travelers, averaging 18 miles (29 kilometers) a day, would spend three months traveling the full length of the road. The Persian dispatch service, however, relaying messages on fresh mounts between regular stages, probably traversed the same distance in two or three weeks. Describing a Persian messenger, the Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century <span>BC<\/span> reported that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night prevented the swiftest possible completion of their appointed rounds.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time as the Persians, the Chou dynasty in China had built up an efficient postal system. By the third century <span>BC<\/span>, the Han dynasty of China and the Ptolemies of Egypt were operating the closest thing to a modern postal system that the ancient world was to know. A system of communication, necessary to rule the large Roman Empire, was devised in the reign of Caesar Augustus (27 <span>BC<\/span>–<span>AD<\/span> 14). The idea for the system came after the Romans annexed Egypt in 30 <span>BC<\/span>. The Roman system did not stress speed or regularity, and although the mail moved speedily over short distances, it could take weeks over long distances or over water. Usually the mail system of the emperors did not benefit the ordinary public; rather, it was an added tax burden. Wealthy families had their own slaves deliver mail, businesses employed letter carriers, and the poor asked traveling friends to carry messages.<\/p>\n<p>A letter written by Christian leaders in Jerusalem to the churches of Asia Minor was delivered by the apostle Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:22-29). Later, Paul requested Timothy (1 Thes 3:2), Tychicus (Col 4:7, 9), and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25; 4:18) to serve as messengers.<\/p>\n<p>One means of local communication was the Roman <em>album<\/em> (Latin for “white”), a white-painted public bulletin board displayed in the center of a city on which messages were painted in black.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>COMMUNICATION<\/h3>\n<p>The act of transmitting a message. Fire, light, and smoke signals were probably the earliest methods of communicating over any distance. The Babylonians were the first to employ a primitive heliograph system (reflected sunlight) for signaling over short distances. A classic use of fire beacons was related by Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist, who described the news of the fall of Troy being relayed to Clytemnestra of Mycenae (c. 1084 <span>BC<\/span>) by a dozen or more fires lighted on mountaintops. Similarly, the Lachish letters mention the use of fire signals to coordinate Israel’s defense against the Babylonians in 587 <span>BC<\/span>. One letter concludes, “Let my lord know that we are watching for the fire signals of Lachish according to the signs my lord has given, because we do not see Azekah” (see Jer 6:1; 34:7). Later, fire signals were communicated from lighthouses such as the famous one at Alexandria, Egypt.<\/p>\n<p>Projected sounds have been used as a means of communication for thousands of years. Around 550 <span>BC<\/span>, Cyrus of Persia built a network of towers from which a soldier shouted a message to a soldier in a nearby tower. According to legend, Alexander the Great had a giant megaphone that could carry a voice several miles. The historian Severus said that the Romans had brass speaking tubes to aid in defense along the northern wall in England. The Hebrews used the <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shofar<\/span><em>,<\/em> a ram’s horn trumpet, to announce the new moon, the beginning of the Sabbath, and the approach of danger (Jos 6:4; Jgs 7:16; Hos 8:1). Also, drum tattoos were used in communication. Even today Ashanti drummers in Ghana can render high and low tones that correspond to the tonal values of their language.<\/p>\n<p>Archaeological excavations have uncovered thousands of ancient business and family letters written on clay tablets. As early as 2000 <span>BC<\/span> the Assyrians maintained an informal postal service with eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor), using the caravans that frequently went between them. Later, Assyrian roads used by the army were also traveled by royal messengers of an efficient government mail service. A network of postal officials stationed in key population centers supervised the couriers and the mail. Clay tablets listing the place-names along a given route and the distances between them served as travel guides. Many royal letters of Assyria and other parts of the Middle East now help to reconstruct ancient history.<\/p>\n<p>After the Persians ascended to power, they expanded the Assyrians’ postal service. The Persian “royal road” was built for government messengers, but it was open to all. It extended more than 1,600 miles (2,574 kilometers) from Sardis in Asia Minor to Susa, the Persian capital located near the head of the Persian Gulf (Est 3:13; 8:10). Royalty and officials traveling that highway found rest houses and inns about 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart, forts at strategic points, and ferries for river crossings. Ordinary travelers, averaging 18 miles (29 kilometers) a day, would spend three months traveling the full length of the road. The Persian dispatch service, however, relaying messages on fresh mounts between regular stages, probably traversed the same distance in two or three weeks. Describing a Persian messenger, the Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century <span>BC<\/span> reported that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night prevented the swiftest possible completion of their appointed rounds.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time as the Persians, the Chou dynasty in China had built up an efficient postal system. By the third century <span>BC<\/span>, the Han dynasty of China and the Ptolemies of Egypt were operating the closest thing to a modern postal system that the ancient world was to know. A system of communication, necessary to rule the large Roman Empire, was devised in the reign of Caesar Augustus (27 <span>BC<\/span>–<span>AD<\/span> 14). The idea for the system came after the Romans annexed Egypt in 30 <span>BC<\/span>. The Roman system did not stress speed or regularity, and although the mail moved speedily over short distances, it could take weeks over long distances or over water. Usually the mail system of the emperors did not benefit the ordinary public; rather, it was an added tax burden. Wealthy families had their own slaves deliver mail, businesses employed letter carriers, and the poor asked traveling friends to carry messages.<\/p>\n<p>A letter written by Christian leaders in Jerusalem to the churches of Asia Minor was delivered by the apostle Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:22-29). Later, Paul requested Timothy (1 Thes 3:2), Tychicus (Col 4:7, 9), and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25; 4:18) to serve as messengers.<\/p>\n<p>One means of local communication was the Roman <em>album<\/em> (Latin for “white”), a white-painted public bulletin board displayed in the center of a city on which messages were painted in black.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>","summary_ro":"COMMUNICATION The act of transmitting a message. Fire, light, and smoke signals were probably the earliest methods of communicating over any distance. The Babylonians were the first to employ a primitive heliograph system (reflected sunlight) for signaling over short distances. A classic use of fire beacons was related by Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist, who described the news of the fall of Troy being relayed to Clytemnestra of Mycenae (c. 1084 BC) by a dozen or more fires lighted on mountainto...","summary_en":"COMMUNICATION The act of transmitting a message. Fire, light, and smoke signals were probably the earliest methods of communicating over any distance. The Babylonians were the first to employ a primitive heliograph system (reflected sunlight) for signaling over short distances. A classic use of fire beacons was related by Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist, who described the news of the fall of Troy being relayed to Clytemnestra of Mycenae (c. 1084 BC) by a dozen or more fires lighted on mountainto...","source":"Articles\/C.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":10849,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Epaphroditus","title_en":"Epaphroditus","content_ro":"<h3>EPAPHRODITUS<\/h3>\n<p>Leader in the Philippian church. Epaphroditus was sent to the apostle Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment; his mission was to deliver gifts (Phil 4:18) and to assist the apostle in his work (2:25). While in Rome, Epaphroditus became seriously ill and nearly died. After a period of convalescence, he returned to Philippi with Paul’s letter instructing the church to receive him (v 29). Epaphroditus’s devoted service endeared him to the Philippian believers and to Paul, who termed him “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier” (v 25, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philippians, Letter to the.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EPAPHRODITUS<\/h3>\n<p>Leader in the Philippian church. Epaphroditus was sent to the apostle Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment; his mission was to deliver gifts (Phil 4:18) and to assist the apostle in his work (2:25). While in Rome, Epaphroditus became seriously ill and nearly died. After a period of convalescence, he returned to Philippi with Paul’s letter instructing the church to receive him (v 29). Epaphroditus’s devoted service endeared him to the Philippian believers and to Paul, who termed him “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier” (v 25, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Philippians, Letter to the.<\/p>","summary_ro":"EPAPHRODITUS Leader in the Philippian church. Epaphroditus was sent to the apostle Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment; his mission was to deliver gifts (Phil 4:18) and to assist the apostle in his work (2:25). While in Rome, Epaphroditus became seriously ill and nearly died. After a period of convalescence, he returned to Philippi with Paul’s letter instructing the church to receive him (v 29). Epaphroditus’s devoted service endeared him to the Philippian believers and to Paul, who t...","summary_en":"EPAPHRODITUS Leader in the Philippian church. Epaphroditus was sent to the apostle Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment; his mission was to deliver gifts (Phil 4:18) and to assist the apostle in his work (2:25). While in Rome, Epaphroditus became seriously ill and nearly died. After a period of convalescence, he returned to Philippi with Paul’s letter instructing the church to receive him (v 29). Epaphroditus’s devoted service endeared him to the Philippian believers and to Paul, who t...","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":17425,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Incense","title_en":"Incense","content_ro":"<h3>INCENSE<\/h3>\n<p>Fragrant spices and oils or sacrifice that sends up perfumed smoke to God in order to please him.<\/p>\n<p>People of every age have loved fragrant odors. In ancient times, sacrifices included sweet smells to make the deity happy. The aroma was a crucial factor in whether the god would accept the offering. Therefore, aromatic plants and exotic perfumes were precious for both secular and religious purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Spices and precious oils were valued along with silver and gold. The queen of Sheba brought spices to Solomon as a gift (1 Kgs 10:2). Incense was kept in the royal treasury (2 Kgs 20:13). The price of spices and oils was extremely inflated because of the difficult work of extracting the juices, transportation costs to import them from faraway places, and high profits for merchants who sold the perfumes.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, lovers sometimes compared their beloved to “myrrh,” a “mountain of myrrh” and a “hill of frankincense” (Sg 1:13; 4:6). The fragrance of incense set the right mood (1:12). Every spice known to a merchant burned beside the couch of Solomon (3:6). A bridegroom delighted in the perfumes of his beloved. She was his own private garden of incense (4:10-14). Even a prostitute burned incense beside her bed (Ez 23:41). No wonder wise men said that “fragrant oil” makes the heart glad and the “sweetness of friendship” comforts the soul (e.g., Prv 27:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TypesofIncense\">Types of Incense<\/p>\n<p>Frankincense is mentioned most often in the Bible. It was imported from India, Somaliland, and Arabia Felix. Myrrh also came from Arabia Felix. Cinnamon was another important fragrance from Ceylon and China. Galbanum, tragacanth (gum), and laudanum all were grown in the mountains of Asia Minor. Galbanum was the most popular of these three, for it was also found in Turkestan, Persia, Syria, and Crete. Henna, saffron, and balsam came from aromatic plants native to Israel. In postexilic times other plants were introduced to Palestine and cultivated there: the rose, narcissus, and jasmine. Onycha seems to have been produced from the local fauna, and musk (muskin) may have been extracted from a gland of the musk deer.<\/p>\n<p>Incense itself came in many forms. It might be used as granules placed in a bag hung around the neck (Sg 1:13). In the main, however, perfumes were in a liquid form, dissolved in olive oil. A good example of this is the “holy anointing oil” (Ex 30:31). Such oils were used to anoint the priests and kings of Israel. Only priests were allowed to prepare and administer them. The incense contained raw spices beaten into a fine consistency and seasoned with salt to make them holy. Stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense were mixed in equal proportions, all according to the art of the perfumer (Ex 30:34-37). The spices and incense for the sanctuary were donated as gifts (Nm 7:14-86; Jer 17:26; 41:5) and kept in the temple (Neh 13:5, 9). Josephus described the incense of his day as a much more complicated compound. He listed 13 ingredients in the best incense of the Herodian era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IncenseOffering\">Incense Offering<\/p>\n<p>Archaeology has demonstrated that incense offerings were common throughout the ancient Near East from the earliest times of organized worship. Egyptian paintings and reliefs from the New Kingdom occasionally show a man holding a censer of burning incense. Incense seems to have been used as well in the rituals of Assyria, Babylonia, and Arabia. Canaanite altars found at Megiddo and Tell Beit Mirsim have horned limestone altars (10th century <span>BC<\/span>) that may have been designed to hold a bowl of incense. Hence, it is safe to assume that incense offerings also played some part in the worship of Israel from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>Incense offerings seem to have served a multitude of purposes. They may have been used to drive away evil spirits and thereby sanctify all the utensils of the place of worship (Ex 30:26-29). Undoubtedly, the sweet smell of incense provided an antidote to the putrid odor of the animal sacrifices. Therefore, if God was to receive a sweet savor and thereby be pleased with an offering, incense was necessary to compensate for the smell of the sacrifices. However, spices were never added to the flesh of the animals or birds.<\/p>\n<p>In some instances, incense itself became a sacrifice. As a supplement to other sacrifices, frankincense alone was burned. To alleviate a plague, Aaron performed a ritual of burning incense (Nm 16:46-47). On the Day of Atonement, the high priest carried burning incense and hot coals on a pan (censer) into the Holy of Holies (Lv 16:12-13). The burning incense was thought to protect the life of the high priest, perhaps because the smoke kept him from seeing the full glory of God.<\/p>\n<p>Frankincense was added to grain for offerings on the altar of burnt offering (Lv 2:1, 15-16; 6:15). It also accompanied the bread of the Presence (24:7) in two dishes. The bronze serpent destroyed by Hezekiah in his reform had become a profane object to which incense was burned (2 Kgs 18:4).<\/p>\n<p>Except on the Day of Atonement, the incense was offered on a special altar (Lv 4:7; cf. Ex 30:9), where it burned morning and evening and came to be called “perpetual incense” (Ex 30:7-8). Probably the altar of gold in Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 6:20-22) was the incense altar.<\/p>\n<p>Offering incense was a holy ritual, and persons who offered it with disrespect for procedures were condemned (Lv 10:1-2; Nm 16:6-50). Uzziah, the king of Judah, became a leper because he dared to offer incense (2 Chr 26:16-21). The burning of incense at “high places” is often criticized (e.g., 1 Kgs 22:43), either because the sanctuaries were idolatrous or because their priests did not take proper care as did the priesthood in Jerusalem. Prophets who criticized the offering of incense (Is 1:13; 66:3; Jer 6:20) did so to condemn a formalism that was void of devotion to the God of Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MeaningofIncense\">Meaning of Incense<\/p>\n<p>Since incense was such a precious commodity, incense was a fitting offering to God (Mal 1:11). Incense offerings also provided a tangible sense of God’s holiness in which the people could experience atonement for sin (Nm 16:46-47). The smoke rising to the sky symbolized the prayers of the people (Ps 141:2; Lk 1:10; Rv 5:8; 8:3-4). At the same time, the smoke in the temple symbolized the presence of God as it had been portrayed by the cloud in the wilderness (Ex 19:18; 33:9-10; Nm 11:25). Together with the rising sun, the smoke provided a powerful symbol for the glory of the Lord (Is 6:1-7).<\/p>\n<p>The significance of incense is further enhanced by NT allusions. The Christian’s testimony about Christ is paralleled with the offering of incense (2 Cor 2:14-15). The sweet smell of the gospel is contrasted with the smell of death that leads to doom. Likewise, money from the Philippian Christians came to Paul in the spirit of an incense sacrifice (Phil 4:18), a costly expression of love and devotion. Finally, incense seems to sanctify and accompany the prayers of the saints into the presence of God (Rv 5:8; 8:3-4). None of the NT references call upon the Christian to offer incense, but rather to learn the devotion and dedication to holiness signified by the burning of this precious substance.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plants (Aloe; Balm; Calamus; Cinnamon; Frankincense; Galbanum; Henna; Hyssop; Myrrh; Nard; Storax Tree); Perfume; Tabernacle; Temple.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>INCENSE<\/h3>\n<p>Fragrant spices and oils or sacrifice that sends up perfumed smoke to God in order to please him.<\/p>\n<p>People of every age have loved fragrant odors. In ancient times, sacrifices included sweet smells to make the deity happy. The aroma was a crucial factor in whether the god would accept the offering. Therefore, aromatic plants and exotic perfumes were precious for both secular and religious purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Spices and precious oils were valued along with silver and gold. The queen of Sheba brought spices to Solomon as a gift (1 Kgs 10:2). Incense was kept in the royal treasury (2 Kgs 20:13). The price of spices and oils was extremely inflated because of the difficult work of extracting the juices, transportation costs to import them from faraway places, and high profits for merchants who sold the perfumes.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, lovers sometimes compared their beloved to “myrrh,” a “mountain of myrrh” and a “hill of frankincense” (Sg 1:13; 4:6). The fragrance of incense set the right mood (1:12). Every spice known to a merchant burned beside the couch of Solomon (3:6). A bridegroom delighted in the perfumes of his beloved. She was his own private garden of incense (4:10-14). Even a prostitute burned incense beside her bed (Ez 23:41). No wonder wise men said that “fragrant oil” makes the heart glad and the “sweetness of friendship” comforts the soul (e.g., Prv 27:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TypesofIncense\">Types of Incense<\/p>\n<p>Frankincense is mentioned most often in the Bible. It was imported from India, Somaliland, and Arabia Felix. Myrrh also came from Arabia Felix. Cinnamon was another important fragrance from Ceylon and China. Galbanum, tragacanth (gum), and laudanum all were grown in the mountains of Asia Minor. Galbanum was the most popular of these three, for it was also found in Turkestan, Persia, Syria, and Crete. Henna, saffron, and balsam came from aromatic plants native to Israel. In postexilic times other plants were introduced to Palestine and cultivated there: the rose, narcissus, and jasmine. Onycha seems to have been produced from the local fauna, and musk (muskin) may have been extracted from a gland of the musk deer.<\/p>\n<p>Incense itself came in many forms. It might be used as granules placed in a bag hung around the neck (Sg 1:13). In the main, however, perfumes were in a liquid form, dissolved in olive oil. A good example of this is the “holy anointing oil” (Ex 30:31). Such oils were used to anoint the priests and kings of Israel. Only priests were allowed to prepare and administer them. The incense contained raw spices beaten into a fine consistency and seasoned with salt to make them holy. Stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense were mixed in equal proportions, all according to the art of the perfumer (Ex 30:34-37). The spices and incense for the sanctuary were donated as gifts (Nm 7:14-86; Jer 17:26; 41:5) and kept in the temple (Neh 13:5, 9). Josephus described the incense of his day as a much more complicated compound. He listed 13 ingredients in the best incense of the Herodian era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IncenseOffering\">Incense Offering<\/p>\n<p>Archaeology has demonstrated that incense offerings were common throughout the ancient Near East from the earliest times of organized worship. Egyptian paintings and reliefs from the New Kingdom occasionally show a man holding a censer of burning incense. Incense seems to have been used as well in the rituals of Assyria, Babylonia, and Arabia. Canaanite altars found at Megiddo and Tell Beit Mirsim have horned limestone altars (10th century <span>BC<\/span>) that may have been designed to hold a bowl of incense. Hence, it is safe to assume that incense offerings also played some part in the worship of Israel from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>Incense offerings seem to have served a multitude of purposes. They may have been used to drive away evil spirits and thereby sanctify all the utensils of the place of worship (Ex 30:26-29). Undoubtedly, the sweet smell of incense provided an antidote to the putrid odor of the animal sacrifices. Therefore, if God was to receive a sweet savor and thereby be pleased with an offering, incense was necessary to compensate for the smell of the sacrifices. However, spices were never added to the flesh of the animals or birds.<\/p>\n<p>In some instances, incense itself became a sacrifice. As a supplement to other sacrifices, frankincense alone was burned. To alleviate a plague, Aaron performed a ritual of burning incense (Nm 16:46-47). On the Day of Atonement, the high priest carried burning incense and hot coals on a pan (censer) into the Holy of Holies (Lv 16:12-13). The burning incense was thought to protect the life of the high priest, perhaps because the smoke kept him from seeing the full glory of God.<\/p>\n<p>Frankincense was added to grain for offerings on the altar of burnt offering (Lv 2:1, 15-16; 6:15). It also accompanied the bread of the Presence (24:7) in two dishes. The bronze serpent destroyed by Hezekiah in his reform had become a profane object to which incense was burned (2 Kgs 18:4).<\/p>\n<p>Except on the Day of Atonement, the incense was offered on a special altar (Lv 4:7; cf. Ex 30:9), where it burned morning and evening and came to be called “perpetual incense” (Ex 30:7-8). Probably the altar of gold in Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 6:20-22) was the incense altar.<\/p>\n<p>Offering incense was a holy ritual, and persons who offered it with disrespect for procedures were condemned (Lv 10:1-2; Nm 16:6-50). Uzziah, the king of Judah, became a leper because he dared to offer incense (2 Chr 26:16-21). The burning of incense at “high places” is often criticized (e.g., 1 Kgs 22:43), either because the sanctuaries were idolatrous or because their priests did not take proper care as did the priesthood in Jerusalem. Prophets who criticized the offering of incense (Is 1:13; 66:3; Jer 6:20) did so to condemn a formalism that was void of devotion to the God of Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MeaningofIncense\">Meaning of Incense<\/p>\n<p>Since incense was such a precious commodity, incense was a fitting offering to God (Mal 1:11). Incense offerings also provided a tangible sense of God’s holiness in which the people could experience atonement for sin (Nm 16:46-47). The smoke rising to the sky symbolized the prayers of the people (Ps 141:2; Lk 1:10; Rv 5:8; 8:3-4). At the same time, the smoke in the temple symbolized the presence of God as it had been portrayed by the cloud in the wilderness (Ex 19:18; 33:9-10; Nm 11:25). Together with the rising sun, the smoke provided a powerful symbol for the glory of the Lord (Is 6:1-7).<\/p>\n<p>The significance of incense is further enhanced by NT allusions. The Christian’s testimony about Christ is paralleled with the offering of incense (2 Cor 2:14-15). The sweet smell of the gospel is contrasted with the smell of death that leads to doom. Likewise, money from the Philippian Christians came to Paul in the spirit of an incense sacrifice (Phil 4:18), a costly expression of love and devotion. Finally, incense seems to sanctify and accompany the prayers of the saints into the presence of God (Rv 5:8; 8:3-4). None of the NT references call upon the Christian to offer incense, but rather to learn the devotion and dedication to holiness signified by the burning of this precious substance.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plants (Aloe; Balm; Calamus; Cinnamon; Frankincense; Galbanum; Henna; Hyssop; Myrrh; Nard; Storax Tree); Perfume; Tabernacle; Temple.<\/p>","summary_ro":"INCENSE Fragrant spices and oils or sacrifice that sends up perfumed smoke to God in order to please him. People of every age have loved fragrant odors. In ancient times, sacrifices included sweet smells to make the deity happy. The aroma was a crucial factor in whether the god would accept the offering. Therefore, aromatic plants and exotic perfumes were precious for both secular and religious purposes. Spices and precious oils were valued along with silver and gold. The queen of Sheba broug...","summary_en":"INCENSE Fragrant spices and oils or sacrifice that sends up perfumed smoke to God in order to please him. People of every age have loved fragrant odors. In ancient times, sacrifices included sweet smells to make the deity happy. The aroma was a crucial factor in whether the god would accept the offering. Therefore, aromatic plants and exotic perfumes were precious for both secular and religious purposes. Spices and precious oils were valued along with silver and gold. The queen of Sheba broug...","source":"Articles\/I.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":29641,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Perfume","title_en":"Perfume","content_ro":"<h3>PERFUME<\/h3>\n<p>Term covering a wide range of materials prepared from ground-up minerals, vegetable oils, and roots, which were used from the earliest times to enhance one’s personal presentation or to produce pleasing fragrances both for secular and religious purposes. The Bible mentions a wide variety of perfumes, such as aloes, balm, balsam, bdellium, cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, gum, myrrh, nard, sweet cane, spice, ointment, and so on. There must have been a vigorous perfume trade with such lands as Arabia (frankincense, myrrh), India (aloes, nard), Ceylon (cinnamon), Persia (the spice galbanum), and Somaliland (frankincense). In the Bible there are several references to those who traded in these items; for example, the Arabian (Ishmaelite) merchants who took Joseph to Egypt (Gn 37:25), the caravans of the queen of Sheba (1 Kgs 10:10), and the traders of Sheba and Raamah who brought spices to Tyre (Ez 27:22).<\/p>\n<p>There are several biblical references to those who prepared perfumes. For example, Bezalel prepared holy anointing oil and sacred incense for the tabernacle (Ex 37:29). The holy anointing oil was a mixture of four constituents (30:22-25): myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane, and cassia mixed in olive oil. In postexilic times, some priests were given the responsibility of mixing perfumes for incense (1 Chr 9:30), and a perfumer is mentioned among those who built Nehemiah’s wall (Neh 3:8).<\/p>\n<p>Modern excavation has produced tangible evidence of a variety of cosmetic vessels and appliances, although, strangely enough, little is said in the Bible about these (Is 3:20; Mt 26:7; Mk 14:3; Lk 7:37). The reference to alabaster containers gains support from their use in Egypt and from archaeology. Some ancient sites in Palestine have yielded numerous small decorated cosmetic bowls, often made of alabaster; small bottles for scents and oils; and palettes for mixing cosmetics. Some of these items are imports from lands like Egypt.<\/p>\n<p>There was a wide range of uses for the various perfumes, whether powders or oils. Perfumed oils were regularly used to anoint the body in order to soothe sun-dried skin (2 Sm 12:20; Ru 3:3). On one occasion, King Ahaz clothed, fed, and anointed men who returned home from captivity (2 Chr 28:15). The rich in the land could afford the “finest oils” (Am 6:6), although such extravagance could be costly (Prv 21:17). This biblical picture is corroborated by evidence from Egypt and Mesopotamia. In particular, there was a lavish use of oils and ointments in the royal palaces of the East.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ointments and oils of various kinds that gave off a pleasing fragrance were regularly used. The Song of Songs has many references to such ointments (Sg 1:3), some of which are specifically named: spikenard (1:12; 4:13-14), myrrh (1:13; 3:6; 4:6; 5:1, 5, 13), frankincense (3:6; 4:6), spices (5:13; 6:2; 8:14), henna (1:14; 4:13), fragrant powders (3:6), saffron (4:14), calamus, and cinnamon (4:14). And there are references in other parts of the Bible to perfumes and ointments of various kinds (1 Kgs 10:2, 10; 2 Kgs 20:13; Prv 27:9; Is 3:24).<\/p>\n<p>Perfumes were put on clothes (Ps 45:8; Sg 4:11) and sprinkled on couches (Prv 7:17). Perfumes and spices also played an important role in the burial of the dead. They were used in embalming (Gn 50:2-3, 26) and were sprinkled on the bier or burned in the fire at some funerals (2 Chr 16:14). Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to be used in wrapping the body of Jesus (Jn 19:39-40). In the funeral of Herod the Great, 500 slaves carried the spices (Josephus’s <em>Antiquities<\/em> 17.8.3).<\/p>\n<p>Besides the personal use of such materials, there was a wide range of oils, perfumes, and incense used in worship. A holy anointing oil was used to anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings and the Aaronic priests at their induction (Ex 30:22-25; Ps 133). An interesting prescription for the sacred incense to be prepared by the perfumer is given in Exodus 30:34-35. The items listed are well known both in Israel and in other parts of the ancient East.<\/p>\n<p>The NT contains a number of figurative references. Christ gave himself as a fragrant offering to God (Eph 5:2). The gifts of the Philippians to Paul were described as a fragrant offering (Phil 4:18) and the prayers of the saints are described as bowls of incense (Rv 5:8).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cosmetics; Oil; Ointment; Perfumer.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PERFUME<\/h3>\n<p>Term covering a wide range of materials prepared from ground-up minerals, vegetable oils, and roots, which were used from the earliest times to enhance one’s personal presentation or to produce pleasing fragrances both for secular and religious purposes. The Bible mentions a wide variety of perfumes, such as aloes, balm, balsam, bdellium, cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, gum, myrrh, nard, sweet cane, spice, ointment, and so on. There must have been a vigorous perfume trade with such lands as Arabia (frankincense, myrrh), India (aloes, nard), Ceylon (cinnamon), Persia (the spice galbanum), and Somaliland (frankincense). In the Bible there are several references to those who traded in these items; for example, the Arabian (Ishmaelite) merchants who took Joseph to Egypt (Gn 37:25), the caravans of the queen of Sheba (1 Kgs 10:10), and the traders of Sheba and Raamah who brought spices to Tyre (Ez 27:22).<\/p>\n<p>There are several biblical references to those who prepared perfumes. For example, Bezalel prepared holy anointing oil and sacred incense for the tabernacle (Ex 37:29). The holy anointing oil was a mixture of four constituents (30:22-25): myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane, and cassia mixed in olive oil. In postexilic times, some priests were given the responsibility of mixing perfumes for incense (1 Chr 9:30), and a perfumer is mentioned among those who built Nehemiah’s wall (Neh 3:8).<\/p>\n<p>Modern excavation has produced tangible evidence of a variety of cosmetic vessels and appliances, although, strangely enough, little is said in the Bible about these (Is 3:20; Mt 26:7; Mk 14:3; Lk 7:37). The reference to alabaster containers gains support from their use in Egypt and from archaeology. Some ancient sites in Palestine have yielded numerous small decorated cosmetic bowls, often made of alabaster; small bottles for scents and oils; and palettes for mixing cosmetics. Some of these items are imports from lands like Egypt.<\/p>\n<p>There was a wide range of uses for the various perfumes, whether powders or oils. Perfumed oils were regularly used to anoint the body in order to soothe sun-dried skin (2 Sm 12:20; Ru 3:3). On one occasion, King Ahaz clothed, fed, and anointed men who returned home from captivity (2 Chr 28:15). The rich in the land could afford the “finest oils” (Am 6:6), although such extravagance could be costly (Prv 21:17). This biblical picture is corroborated by evidence from Egypt and Mesopotamia. In particular, there was a lavish use of oils and ointments in the royal palaces of the East.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ointments and oils of various kinds that gave off a pleasing fragrance were regularly used. The Song of Songs has many references to such ointments (Sg 1:3), some of which are specifically named: spikenard (1:12; 4:13-14), myrrh (1:13; 3:6; 4:6; 5:1, 5, 13), frankincense (3:6; 4:6), spices (5:13; 6:2; 8:14), henna (1:14; 4:13), fragrant powders (3:6), saffron (4:14), calamus, and cinnamon (4:14). And there are references in other parts of the Bible to perfumes and ointments of various kinds (1 Kgs 10:2, 10; 2 Kgs 20:13; Prv 27:9; Is 3:24).<\/p>\n<p>Perfumes were put on clothes (Ps 45:8; Sg 4:11) and sprinkled on couches (Prv 7:17). Perfumes and spices also played an important role in the burial of the dead. They were used in embalming (Gn 50:2-3, 26) and were sprinkled on the bier or burned in the fire at some funerals (2 Chr 16:14). Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to be used in wrapping the body of Jesus (Jn 19:39-40). In the funeral of Herod the Great, 500 slaves carried the spices (Josephus’s <em>Antiquities<\/em> 17.8.3).<\/p>\n<p>Besides the personal use of such materials, there was a wide range of oils, perfumes, and incense used in worship. A holy anointing oil was used to anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings and the Aaronic priests at their induction (Ex 30:22-25; Ps 133). An interesting prescription for the sacred incense to be prepared by the perfumer is given in Exodus 30:34-35. The items listed are well known both in Israel and in other parts of the ancient East.<\/p>\n<p>The NT contains a number of figurative references. Christ gave himself as a fragrant offering to God (Eph 5:2). The gifts of the Philippians to Paul were described as a fragrant offering (Phil 4:18) and the prayers of the saints are described as bowls of incense (Rv 5:8).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cosmetics; Oil; Ointment; Perfumer.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PERFUME Term covering a wide range of materials prepared from ground-up minerals, vegetable oils, and roots, which were used from the earliest times to enhance one’s personal presentation or to produce pleasing fragrances both for secular and religious purposes. The Bible mentions a wide variety of perfumes, such as aloes, balm, balsam, bdellium, cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, gum, myrrh, nard, sweet cane, spice, ointment, and so on. There must have been a vigorous perfume trade with such la...","summary_en":"PERFUME Term covering a wide range of materials prepared from ground-up minerals, vegetable oils, and roots, which were used from the earliest times to enhance one’s personal presentation or to produce pleasing fragrances both for secular and religious purposes. The Bible mentions a wide variety of perfumes, such as aloes, balm, balsam, bdellium, cassia, cinnamon, frankincense, gum, myrrh, nard, sweet cane, spice, ointment, and so on. There must have been a vigorous perfume trade with such la...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58296,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:18","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:18","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","summary_en":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85922,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:18","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:18","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","summary_en":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113548,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:18","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:18","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","summary_en":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141174,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:18","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:18","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:18<\/strong> <em>Epaphroditus<\/em> (see also 2:25-30) had carried <em>the gifts<\/em> from Philippi. • Their gifts were <em>a sweet-smelling sacrifice:<\/em> In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","summary_en":"4:18 Epaphroditus (see also 2:25-30) had carried the gifts from Philippi. • Their gifts were a sweet-smelling sacrifice: In the Old Testament, acceptable offerings were a pleasant fragrance to God (see Lev 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5, 16; cp. Rom 12:1; Eph 5:2).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"19":[{"id":30261,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":31430,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Promise","title_en":"Promise","content_ro":"<h3>PROMISE<\/h3>\n<p>Declaration by one person to another that something will or will not be done, giving the person to whom it is made the right to expect the performance of whatever has been specified.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TypesofPromise\">Types of Promise<\/p>\n<p>In biblical usage there are scattered examples of promises that people give either to one another (e.g., Nm 22:17; Est 4:7) or to God (e.g., Neh 5:12), but the promises that God gives to man are far more significant. These divine promises are absolutely trustworthy because the one who gives them is totally able to perform that which he has promised (Rom 4:21).<\/p>\n<p>Divine promises in Scripture assure their recipients of many spiritual and temporal benefits, including sonship (2 Cor 6:16–7:1), forgiveness of sin (1 Jn 1:9), answer to prayer (Lk 11:9), deliverance from temptations (1 Cor 10:13), sustaining grace for difficult times (2 Cor 12:9), provision for all needs (Phil 4:19), reward for obedience (Jas 1:12), and eternal life (Lk 18:29-30; Jn 3:16; Rom 6:22-23). God’s promises are certain and sure, but participation in their blessing often requires that certain conditions on which they are predicated be met. Divine promises also are not always guarantees of blessing. Indeed, there are promises announcing the certainty of judgment on those who refuse to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus (2 Thes 1:8-9).<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the promises of God, which have subjective and individual application to many different people in widely different times and places, there are a great many promises that pertain to the programmatic unfolding of God’s plan of redemption in a grand procession of historical events. These promises have neither repeated applications nor conditional natures. In such cases, promise becomes nearly synonymous with prophecy, and promises of this type, along with their subsequent fulfillment, are intricately intertwined in the entire fabric of redemptive history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PromisesintheOldTestament\">Promises in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The highlights of the promise theme in the OT can be seen in the promise of what is often termed the protevangelium (i.e., the first announcement of the gospel) given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden immediately after the fall into sin (Gn 3:15). Subsequent promises are the covenants God made with Abraham (chs 12; 15; 17) and with David (2 Sm 7), followed by the promise of a new covenant (Jer 31).<\/p>\n<h5>The Protevangelium<\/h5>\n<p>Genesis 3:15b says: “Your [Satan’s] offspring and her [Eve’s] offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (<span>nlt<\/span>). This statement is a promise that at some future time the offspring of the woman will crush Satan. The offspring of the woman is individualized in the “he” of the last phrase. “He” shall strike you (i.e., Satan) on the head, although Satan will inflict a wound on the offspring of the woman. Here, then, is the promise that gives Adam and Eve, as well as their descendants, the basis to expect the eventual destruction of their adversary Satan through their offspring.<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise to Abraham<\/h5>\n<p>In Genesis 12:1-7 Abraham is told to leave his people and country and to go to a land that the Lord would show to him. God, in turn, promises him that (1) his offspring would become a great nation; (2) he would be blessed and his name made great; (3) through him other nations would be blessed; and (4) the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants. Of particular significance among these promises given to Abraham is that through his offspring he will bless many nations. This promise is repeated five times in the book of Genesis (Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14) and points back to the promise of Genesis 3:15 as well as forward to Christ.<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise to David<\/h5>\n<p>In 2 Samuel 7, God gave a promise to King David that his dynasty would endure forever (2 Sm 7:16; Ps 89:34-37). It is with this Davidic covenant that the promised line, which had previously run from Adam through Seth, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, is now narrowed to the royal line of the house of David. David is to be the ancestor of the Messiah-King to come (Ps 89:3, 27-37). David thus became a central figure in the history of God’s plan to redeem the world. Jesus Christ is referred to as the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mt 1:1).<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise of a New Covenant<\/h5>\n<p>In Jeremiah 31:31-37, it is promised that in future days the Lord would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The content of this new covenant reemphasizes and extends the basic promises of the former covenant: “I will be their God, and they will be my people. . . . I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins” (vv 33-34, <span>nlt<\/span>). It would appear that the “new covenant” of Jeremiah is to be viewed as a restatement of the same basic promises included in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants.<\/p>\n<p>The new covenant was inaugurated with the first advent of Christ, and believers in Christ are now recipients by the Holy Spirit of the blessings of that new covenant (Heb 8:6-13). The complete and final realization of these blessings in all their fullness awaits the return of Christ, the complete establishment of his kingdom in its outward and final form, and the blessedness of life in the new heavens and new earth. In the intervening time, God’s people live in a day in which some of the benefits of the age to come are a present reality but the fullness of the new age is yet future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ThePromiseThemeintheNewTestament\">The Promise Theme in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>New Testament writers refer to the OT promises in a way that indicates that they did not view these promises as separate and isolated assertions but rather as portions of a unitary promise that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ (see Lk 1:54-55, 69-73; Acts 13:23, 32-33; 26:6-7; 2 Cor 1:20). Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs and David, and these promises are accordingly to be viewed as having a single focal point in him.<\/p>\n<p>In the books of Galatians and Ephesians, Paul develops this idea in more detail, saying to the Gentile Christians that they are made “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph 3:6, <span>niv<\/span>). In fact, Paul says that Gentiles who trust in Christ are incorporated into the seed of Abraham and are thus heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:29), and he even goes so far as to equate the gospel with the promise given to Abraham when he states, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’ ” (Gal 3:8, <span>niv<\/span>). These and other NT texts establish the close connection between the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the promise. The promises of God find their point of convergence in Christ and all that he accomplished, and will yet accomplish, for his people.<\/p>\n<p>One further aspect of the promise particularly emphasized in the NT concerns the coming of the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to believers as sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), and as receiving the promise of the Spirit (Gal 3:14). The gift of the Holy Spirit is not only the fulfillment of an OT promise (Is 32:15; Ez 36:27; Jl 2:28), and that of Christ himself (Lk 24:49; Jn 14:16, 20; Acts 1:4), but it is also itself a promise of something yet future. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit’s presence within the believer as a guarantee of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14). The Holy Spirit is the “firstfruit” of future glory (Rom 8:23).<\/p>\n<p>One final aspect of the promise theme in the NT concerns the assurance of Christ’s second advent and the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Jn 14:1-3; 2 Pt 3:4, 9, 13).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Covenant; God, Being and Attributes of; Hope; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PROMISE<\/h3>\n<p>Declaration by one person to another that something will or will not be done, giving the person to whom it is made the right to expect the performance of whatever has been specified.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TypesofPromise\">Types of Promise<\/p>\n<p>In biblical usage there are scattered examples of promises that people give either to one another (e.g., Nm 22:17; Est 4:7) or to God (e.g., Neh 5:12), but the promises that God gives to man are far more significant. These divine promises are absolutely trustworthy because the one who gives them is totally able to perform that which he has promised (Rom 4:21).<\/p>\n<p>Divine promises in Scripture assure their recipients of many spiritual and temporal benefits, including sonship (2 Cor 6:16–7:1), forgiveness of sin (1 Jn 1:9), answer to prayer (Lk 11:9), deliverance from temptations (1 Cor 10:13), sustaining grace for difficult times (2 Cor 12:9), provision for all needs (Phil 4:19), reward for obedience (Jas 1:12), and eternal life (Lk 18:29-30; Jn 3:16; Rom 6:22-23). God’s promises are certain and sure, but participation in their blessing often requires that certain conditions on which they are predicated be met. Divine promises also are not always guarantees of blessing. Indeed, there are promises announcing the certainty of judgment on those who refuse to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus (2 Thes 1:8-9).<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the promises of God, which have subjective and individual application to many different people in widely different times and places, there are a great many promises that pertain to the programmatic unfolding of God’s plan of redemption in a grand procession of historical events. These promises have neither repeated applications nor conditional natures. In such cases, promise becomes nearly synonymous with prophecy, and promises of this type, along with their subsequent fulfillment, are intricately intertwined in the entire fabric of redemptive history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PromisesintheOldTestament\">Promises in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The highlights of the promise theme in the OT can be seen in the promise of what is often termed the protevangelium (i.e., the first announcement of the gospel) given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden immediately after the fall into sin (Gn 3:15). Subsequent promises are the covenants God made with Abraham (chs 12; 15; 17) and with David (2 Sm 7), followed by the promise of a new covenant (Jer 31).<\/p>\n<h5>The Protevangelium<\/h5>\n<p>Genesis 3:15b says: “Your [Satan’s] offspring and her [Eve’s] offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (<span>nlt<\/span>). This statement is a promise that at some future time the offspring of the woman will crush Satan. The offspring of the woman is individualized in the “he” of the last phrase. “He” shall strike you (i.e., Satan) on the head, although Satan will inflict a wound on the offspring of the woman. Here, then, is the promise that gives Adam and Eve, as well as their descendants, the basis to expect the eventual destruction of their adversary Satan through their offspring.<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise to Abraham<\/h5>\n<p>In Genesis 12:1-7 Abraham is told to leave his people and country and to go to a land that the Lord would show to him. God, in turn, promises him that (1) his offspring would become a great nation; (2) he would be blessed and his name made great; (3) through him other nations would be blessed; and (4) the land of Canaan would be given to his descendants. Of particular significance among these promises given to Abraham is that through his offspring he will bless many nations. This promise is repeated five times in the book of Genesis (Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14) and points back to the promise of Genesis 3:15 as well as forward to Christ.<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise to David<\/h5>\n<p>In 2 Samuel 7, God gave a promise to King David that his dynasty would endure forever (2 Sm 7:16; Ps 89:34-37). It is with this Davidic covenant that the promised line, which had previously run from Adam through Seth, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, is now narrowed to the royal line of the house of David. David is to be the ancestor of the Messiah-King to come (Ps 89:3, 27-37). David thus became a central figure in the history of God’s plan to redeem the world. Jesus Christ is referred to as the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mt 1:1).<\/p>\n<h5>The Promise of a New Covenant<\/h5>\n<p>In Jeremiah 31:31-37, it is promised that in future days the Lord would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The content of this new covenant reemphasizes and extends the basic promises of the former covenant: “I will be their God, and they will be my people. . . . I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins” (vv 33-34, <span>nlt<\/span>). It would appear that the “new covenant” of Jeremiah is to be viewed as a restatement of the same basic promises included in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants.<\/p>\n<p>The new covenant was inaugurated with the first advent of Christ, and believers in Christ are now recipients by the Holy Spirit of the blessings of that new covenant (Heb 8:6-13). The complete and final realization of these blessings in all their fullness awaits the return of Christ, the complete establishment of his kingdom in its outward and final form, and the blessedness of life in the new heavens and new earth. In the intervening time, God’s people live in a day in which some of the benefits of the age to come are a present reality but the fullness of the new age is yet future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ThePromiseThemeintheNewTestament\">The Promise Theme in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>New Testament writers refer to the OT promises in a way that indicates that they did not view these promises as separate and isolated assertions but rather as portions of a unitary promise that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ (see Lk 1:54-55, 69-73; Acts 13:23, 32-33; 26:6-7; 2 Cor 1:20). Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs and David, and these promises are accordingly to be viewed as having a single focal point in him.<\/p>\n<p>In the books of Galatians and Ephesians, Paul develops this idea in more detail, saying to the Gentile Christians that they are made “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph 3:6, <span>niv<\/span>). In fact, Paul says that Gentiles who trust in Christ are incorporated into the seed of Abraham and are thus heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:29), and he even goes so far as to equate the gospel with the promise given to Abraham when he states, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you’ ” (Gal 3:8, <span>niv<\/span>). These and other NT texts establish the close connection between the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the promise. The promises of God find their point of convergence in Christ and all that he accomplished, and will yet accomplish, for his people.<\/p>\n<p>One further aspect of the promise particularly emphasized in the NT concerns the coming of the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to believers as sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), and as receiving the promise of the Spirit (Gal 3:14). The gift of the Holy Spirit is not only the fulfillment of an OT promise (Is 32:15; Ez 36:27; Jl 2:28), and that of Christ himself (Lk 24:49; Jn 14:16, 20; Acts 1:4), but it is also itself a promise of something yet future. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit’s presence within the believer as a guarantee of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14). The Holy Spirit is the “firstfruit” of future glory (Rom 8:23).<\/p>\n<p>One final aspect of the promise theme in the NT concerns the assurance of Christ’s second advent and the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Jn 14:1-3; 2 Pt 3:4, 9, 13).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Covenant; God, Being and Attributes of; Hope; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PROMISE Declaration by one person to another that something will or will not be done, giving the person to whom it is made the right to expect the performance of whatever has been specified. Types of Promise In biblical usage there are scattered examples of promises that people give either to one another (e.g., Nm 22:17; Est 4:7) or to God (e.g., Neh 5:12), but the promises that God gives to man are far more significant. These divine promises are absolutely trustworthy because the one who giv...","summary_en":"PROMISE Declaration by one person to another that something will or will not be done, giving the person to whom it is made the right to expect the performance of whatever has been specified. Types of Promise In biblical usage there are scattered examples of promises that people give either to one another (e.g., Nm 22:17; Est 4:7) or to God (e.g., Neh 5:12), but the promises that God gives to man are far more significant. These divine promises are absolutely trustworthy because the one who giv...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":31934,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Providence*","title_en":"Providence*","content_ro":"<h3>PROVIDENCE*<\/h3>\n<p>God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"SignificanceofProvidence\">Significance of Providence<\/p>\n<p>All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence is ground for thankfulness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"CounterfeitConceptsofProvidence\">Counterfeit Concepts of Providence<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the nonbelieving world has so many erroneous ideas about providence proves that this is an immensely realistic issue. At the heart of every nonbiblical proposal about providence is the denial of the personhood of God. In its place stands some cold principle or force dominating man and clashing with his life. It may be all-pervasive or local. It may be rational or irrational, consistent or arbitrary. False providences include:<\/p>\n<h5>Fate<\/h5>\n<p>Countless numbers of people have believed themselves to be trapped by a sometimes fickle and always foreboding fate. “As fate would have it,” they say.<\/p>\n<h5>Luck<\/h5>\n<p>Life is indeed fortuitous at times. Optimists speak of “fortune,” or less solemnly of “luck.” But then, since this is all so impersonal, fortune-tellers arose, and someone dreamed up “lady luck.”<\/p>\n<h5>Serendipity<\/h5>\n<p>This is the term used by the one who takes credit for unintentional discoveries of good things along the way in life. But he refuses to acknowledge that God was there before him and so he does not give thanks.<\/p>\n<h5>History<\/h5>\n<p>Some Marxist propagandists have championed their cause by saying, “History is on our side.” They were appealing to a supposed inevitability of future events that would lead to a Communistic world. “History” in such a statement appears to have taken on a divine dimension. Likewise, when American leaders have affirmed a “manifest destiny” for the United States to be the superior power in the Western hemisphere or in the world at large, the same kind of reasoning is employed.<\/p>\n<h5>Progress<\/h5>\n<p>The development of science and technology, education and social evolution, and territorial conquests have made some people believers in progress as something more than what is seen. Until the two world wars, there was the illusion of a relentless momentum pushing upward and onward forever. In some respects, progress is but providence by another name, but not to the degree that people assume for themselves the glory that belongs to God.<\/p>\n<h5>Nature<\/h5>\n<p>Men like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau of 19th-century New England attributed to nature the gifts of providence. But nature is impersonal and abstract.<\/p>\n<h5>Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest<\/h5>\n<p>Charles Darwin’s classic on biological evolution, <em>The Origin of the Species,<\/em> appeared in 1859. It popularized two relatively new theories. For millions of people, the mysterious decisions behind “natural selection” intrigued the thoughtful more than the notion of God’s providence. And the idea that “the fit survive” necessarily makes providence altogether unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>These counterfeit views compete with the idea of God’s providence. Of course, they cannot all be true. Nor can they satisfy the inquirer whose personhood calls insistently for a personal providence that reflects a knowledge of his individual needs and uniqueness. Only the Christian doctrine of providence provides that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalMeaningofProvidence\">Biblical Meaning of Providence<\/p>\n<p>Providence is basically God’s provision for the needs of people on time. The classic statement is found in Abraham’s confession of faith in his life’s most difficult test. He was under the duress of God’s command to provide something he could not afford—his son in sacrifice. He struggled with the dilemma of losing his son or losing God’s friendship. In answer to Isaac’s question about a sacrifice for God, Abraham exclaimed, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Gn 22:8, <span>niv<\/span>). The word “providence” means literally “to see before,” and therefore by implication to do something about the situation. In this case, there was already upon Mt Moriah a suitable sacrifice, “a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns” (v 13). The unbelieving analysis of that situation would understand only that through an ordinary process an animal had become entangled in dense underbrush, and coincidentally Abraham and Isaac happened to arrive on the scene. But to believing Abraham, who was led for three days toward that one point in time and space in desperate need of a divine provision, it was altogether clear to him that God, by whatever process, had stationed the ram at the place of sacrifice for his use. “Provision” and “providence” are coordinately related to their verbal root, “provide,” and are essentially and etymologically the same. However, they are theologically distinguished in usage by providence’s having come to mean divine provision on the basis of foresight.<\/p>\n<p>The great text on providence in the NT is also set in a context of sacrifice pleasing to God. Paul had reason to commend the Philippians’ sacrificial support of his missionary work. To them he stated his unbounded confidence in the providential care of God: “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The sacrifice of Christ Jesus for us confirms the doctrine of providence with a most reasonable certitude. What God initially required of Abraham but did not ultimately require (the sacrifice of his son), he required of himself and did fulfill two millennia later. It is God’s nature to supply, to foresee man’s need and to provide for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProvidenceandtheNatureofGod\">Providence and the Nature of God<\/p>\n<p>Immediately following his reassuring words to the Philippians about the treasury of providence (“his riches in glory”—Phil 4:19), the apostle Paul wrote a doxology to God “our Father” (v 20). Providence is appropriately pictured in the fatherhood of God. His fatherhood is the attribute, and providence is the act that expresses it. Fathers provide and guide. Fathers construct conditions of opportunity for children without crowding their freedom. They exercise governance in a context of caring. Providence, therefore, as an activity of God, flows naturally from God’s fatherly nature.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination; God, Being and Attributes of.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PROVIDENCE*<\/h3>\n<p>God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"SignificanceofProvidence\">Significance of Providence<\/p>\n<p>All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence is ground for thankfulness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"CounterfeitConceptsofProvidence\">Counterfeit Concepts of Providence<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the nonbelieving world has so many erroneous ideas about providence proves that this is an immensely realistic issue. At the heart of every nonbiblical proposal about providence is the denial of the personhood of God. In its place stands some cold principle or force dominating man and clashing with his life. It may be all-pervasive or local. It may be rational or irrational, consistent or arbitrary. False providences include:<\/p>\n<h5>Fate<\/h5>\n<p>Countless numbers of people have believed themselves to be trapped by a sometimes fickle and always foreboding fate. “As fate would have it,” they say.<\/p>\n<h5>Luck<\/h5>\n<p>Life is indeed fortuitous at times. Optimists speak of “fortune,” or less solemnly of “luck.” But then, since this is all so impersonal, fortune-tellers arose, and someone dreamed up “lady luck.”<\/p>\n<h5>Serendipity<\/h5>\n<p>This is the term used by the one who takes credit for unintentional discoveries of good things along the way in life. But he refuses to acknowledge that God was there before him and so he does not give thanks.<\/p>\n<h5>History<\/h5>\n<p>Some Marxist propagandists have championed their cause by saying, “History is on our side.” They were appealing to a supposed inevitability of future events that would lead to a Communistic world. “History” in such a statement appears to have taken on a divine dimension. Likewise, when American leaders have affirmed a “manifest destiny” for the United States to be the superior power in the Western hemisphere or in the world at large, the same kind of reasoning is employed.<\/p>\n<h5>Progress<\/h5>\n<p>The development of science and technology, education and social evolution, and territorial conquests have made some people believers in progress as something more than what is seen. Until the two world wars, there was the illusion of a relentless momentum pushing upward and onward forever. In some respects, progress is but providence by another name, but not to the degree that people assume for themselves the glory that belongs to God.<\/p>\n<h5>Nature<\/h5>\n<p>Men like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau of 19th-century New England attributed to nature the gifts of providence. But nature is impersonal and abstract.<\/p>\n<h5>Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest<\/h5>\n<p>Charles Darwin’s classic on biological evolution, <em>The Origin of the Species,<\/em> appeared in 1859. It popularized two relatively new theories. For millions of people, the mysterious decisions behind “natural selection” intrigued the thoughtful more than the notion of God’s providence. And the idea that “the fit survive” necessarily makes providence altogether unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>These counterfeit views compete with the idea of God’s providence. Of course, they cannot all be true. Nor can they satisfy the inquirer whose personhood calls insistently for a personal providence that reflects a knowledge of his individual needs and uniqueness. Only the Christian doctrine of providence provides that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalMeaningofProvidence\">Biblical Meaning of Providence<\/p>\n<p>Providence is basically God’s provision for the needs of people on time. The classic statement is found in Abraham’s confession of faith in his life’s most difficult test. He was under the duress of God’s command to provide something he could not afford—his son in sacrifice. He struggled with the dilemma of losing his son or losing God’s friendship. In answer to Isaac’s question about a sacrifice for God, Abraham exclaimed, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Gn 22:8, <span>niv<\/span>). The word “providence” means literally “to see before,” and therefore by implication to do something about the situation. In this case, there was already upon Mt Moriah a suitable sacrifice, “a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns” (v 13). The unbelieving analysis of that situation would understand only that through an ordinary process an animal had become entangled in dense underbrush, and coincidentally Abraham and Isaac happened to arrive on the scene. But to believing Abraham, who was led for three days toward that one point in time and space in desperate need of a divine provision, it was altogether clear to him that God, by whatever process, had stationed the ram at the place of sacrifice for his use. “Provision” and “providence” are coordinately related to their verbal root, “provide,” and are essentially and etymologically the same. However, they are theologically distinguished in usage by providence’s having come to mean divine provision on the basis of foresight.<\/p>\n<p>The great text on providence in the NT is also set in a context of sacrifice pleasing to God. Paul had reason to commend the Philippians’ sacrificial support of his missionary work. To them he stated his unbounded confidence in the providential care of God: “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The sacrifice of Christ Jesus for us confirms the doctrine of providence with a most reasonable certitude. What God initially required of Abraham but did not ultimately require (the sacrifice of his son), he required of himself and did fulfill two millennia later. It is God’s nature to supply, to foresee man’s need and to provide for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProvidenceandtheNatureofGod\">Providence and the Nature of God<\/p>\n<p>Immediately following his reassuring words to the Philippians about the treasury of providence (“his riches in glory”—Phil 4:19), the apostle Paul wrote a doxology to God “our Father” (v 20). Providence is appropriately pictured in the fatherhood of God. His fatherhood is the attribute, and providence is the act that expresses it. Fathers provide and guide. Fathers construct conditions of opportunity for children without crowding their freedom. They exercise governance in a context of caring. Providence, therefore, as an activity of God, flows naturally from God’s fatherly nature.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination; God, Being and Attributes of.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PROVIDENCE* God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him. Significance of Providence All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence ...","summary_en":"PROVIDENCE* God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him. Significance of Providence All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"20":[{"id":31935,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Providence*","title_en":"Providence*","content_ro":"<h3>PROVIDENCE*<\/h3>\n<p>God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"SignificanceofProvidence\">Significance of Providence<\/p>\n<p>All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence is ground for thankfulness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"CounterfeitConceptsofProvidence\">Counterfeit Concepts of Providence<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the nonbelieving world has so many erroneous ideas about providence proves that this is an immensely realistic issue. At the heart of every nonbiblical proposal about providence is the denial of the personhood of God. In its place stands some cold principle or force dominating man and clashing with his life. It may be all-pervasive or local. It may be rational or irrational, consistent or arbitrary. False providences include:<\/p>\n<h5>Fate<\/h5>\n<p>Countless numbers of people have believed themselves to be trapped by a sometimes fickle and always foreboding fate. “As fate would have it,” they say.<\/p>\n<h5>Luck<\/h5>\n<p>Life is indeed fortuitous at times. Optimists speak of “fortune,” or less solemnly of “luck.” But then, since this is all so impersonal, fortune-tellers arose, and someone dreamed up “lady luck.”<\/p>\n<h5>Serendipity<\/h5>\n<p>This is the term used by the one who takes credit for unintentional discoveries of good things along the way in life. But he refuses to acknowledge that God was there before him and so he does not give thanks.<\/p>\n<h5>History<\/h5>\n<p>Some Marxist propagandists have championed their cause by saying, “History is on our side.” They were appealing to a supposed inevitability of future events that would lead to a Communistic world. “History” in such a statement appears to have taken on a divine dimension. Likewise, when American leaders have affirmed a “manifest destiny” for the United States to be the superior power in the Western hemisphere or in the world at large, the same kind of reasoning is employed.<\/p>\n<h5>Progress<\/h5>\n<p>The development of science and technology, education and social evolution, and territorial conquests have made some people believers in progress as something more than what is seen. Until the two world wars, there was the illusion of a relentless momentum pushing upward and onward forever. In some respects, progress is but providence by another name, but not to the degree that people assume for themselves the glory that belongs to God.<\/p>\n<h5>Nature<\/h5>\n<p>Men like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau of 19th-century New England attributed to nature the gifts of providence. But nature is impersonal and abstract.<\/p>\n<h5>Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest<\/h5>\n<p>Charles Darwin’s classic on biological evolution, <em>The Origin of the Species,<\/em> appeared in 1859. It popularized two relatively new theories. For millions of people, the mysterious decisions behind “natural selection” intrigued the thoughtful more than the notion of God’s providence. And the idea that “the fit survive” necessarily makes providence altogether unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>These counterfeit views compete with the idea of God’s providence. Of course, they cannot all be true. Nor can they satisfy the inquirer whose personhood calls insistently for a personal providence that reflects a knowledge of his individual needs and uniqueness. Only the Christian doctrine of providence provides that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalMeaningofProvidence\">Biblical Meaning of Providence<\/p>\n<p>Providence is basically God’s provision for the needs of people on time. The classic statement is found in Abraham’s confession of faith in his life’s most difficult test. He was under the duress of God’s command to provide something he could not afford—his son in sacrifice. He struggled with the dilemma of losing his son or losing God’s friendship. In answer to Isaac’s question about a sacrifice for God, Abraham exclaimed, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Gn 22:8, <span>niv<\/span>). The word “providence” means literally “to see before,” and therefore by implication to do something about the situation. In this case, there was already upon Mt Moriah a suitable sacrifice, “a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns” (v 13). The unbelieving analysis of that situation would understand only that through an ordinary process an animal had become entangled in dense underbrush, and coincidentally Abraham and Isaac happened to arrive on the scene. But to believing Abraham, who was led for three days toward that one point in time and space in desperate need of a divine provision, it was altogether clear to him that God, by whatever process, had stationed the ram at the place of sacrifice for his use. “Provision” and “providence” are coordinately related to their verbal root, “provide,” and are essentially and etymologically the same. However, they are theologically distinguished in usage by providence’s having come to mean divine provision on the basis of foresight.<\/p>\n<p>The great text on providence in the NT is also set in a context of sacrifice pleasing to God. Paul had reason to commend the Philippians’ sacrificial support of his missionary work. To them he stated his unbounded confidence in the providential care of God: “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The sacrifice of Christ Jesus for us confirms the doctrine of providence with a most reasonable certitude. What God initially required of Abraham but did not ultimately require (the sacrifice of his son), he required of himself and did fulfill two millennia later. It is God’s nature to supply, to foresee man’s need and to provide for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProvidenceandtheNatureofGod\">Providence and the Nature of God<\/p>\n<p>Immediately following his reassuring words to the Philippians about the treasury of providence (“his riches in glory”—Phil 4:19), the apostle Paul wrote a doxology to God “our Father” (v 20). Providence is appropriately pictured in the fatherhood of God. His fatherhood is the attribute, and providence is the act that expresses it. Fathers provide and guide. Fathers construct conditions of opportunity for children without crowding their freedom. They exercise governance in a context of caring. Providence, therefore, as an activity of God, flows naturally from God’s fatherly nature.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination; God, Being and Attributes of.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PROVIDENCE*<\/h3>\n<p>God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"SignificanceofProvidence\">Significance of Providence<\/p>\n<p>All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence is ground for thankfulness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"CounterfeitConceptsofProvidence\">Counterfeit Concepts of Providence<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the nonbelieving world has so many erroneous ideas about providence proves that this is an immensely realistic issue. At the heart of every nonbiblical proposal about providence is the denial of the personhood of God. In its place stands some cold principle or force dominating man and clashing with his life. It may be all-pervasive or local. It may be rational or irrational, consistent or arbitrary. False providences include:<\/p>\n<h5>Fate<\/h5>\n<p>Countless numbers of people have believed themselves to be trapped by a sometimes fickle and always foreboding fate. “As fate would have it,” they say.<\/p>\n<h5>Luck<\/h5>\n<p>Life is indeed fortuitous at times. Optimists speak of “fortune,” or less solemnly of “luck.” But then, since this is all so impersonal, fortune-tellers arose, and someone dreamed up “lady luck.”<\/p>\n<h5>Serendipity<\/h5>\n<p>This is the term used by the one who takes credit for unintentional discoveries of good things along the way in life. But he refuses to acknowledge that God was there before him and so he does not give thanks.<\/p>\n<h5>History<\/h5>\n<p>Some Marxist propagandists have championed their cause by saying, “History is on our side.” They were appealing to a supposed inevitability of future events that would lead to a Communistic world. “History” in such a statement appears to have taken on a divine dimension. Likewise, when American leaders have affirmed a “manifest destiny” for the United States to be the superior power in the Western hemisphere or in the world at large, the same kind of reasoning is employed.<\/p>\n<h5>Progress<\/h5>\n<p>The development of science and technology, education and social evolution, and territorial conquests have made some people believers in progress as something more than what is seen. Until the two world wars, there was the illusion of a relentless momentum pushing upward and onward forever. In some respects, progress is but providence by another name, but not to the degree that people assume for themselves the glory that belongs to God.<\/p>\n<h5>Nature<\/h5>\n<p>Men like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau of 19th-century New England attributed to nature the gifts of providence. But nature is impersonal and abstract.<\/p>\n<h5>Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest<\/h5>\n<p>Charles Darwin’s classic on biological evolution, <em>The Origin of the Species,<\/em> appeared in 1859. It popularized two relatively new theories. For millions of people, the mysterious decisions behind “natural selection” intrigued the thoughtful more than the notion of God’s providence. And the idea that “the fit survive” necessarily makes providence altogether unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>These counterfeit views compete with the idea of God’s providence. Of course, they cannot all be true. Nor can they satisfy the inquirer whose personhood calls insistently for a personal providence that reflects a knowledge of his individual needs and uniqueness. Only the Christian doctrine of providence provides that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalMeaningofProvidence\">Biblical Meaning of Providence<\/p>\n<p>Providence is basically God’s provision for the needs of people on time. The classic statement is found in Abraham’s confession of faith in his life’s most difficult test. He was under the duress of God’s command to provide something he could not afford—his son in sacrifice. He struggled with the dilemma of losing his son or losing God’s friendship. In answer to Isaac’s question about a sacrifice for God, Abraham exclaimed, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Gn 22:8, <span>niv<\/span>). The word “providence” means literally “to see before,” and therefore by implication to do something about the situation. In this case, there was already upon Mt Moriah a suitable sacrifice, “a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns” (v 13). The unbelieving analysis of that situation would understand only that through an ordinary process an animal had become entangled in dense underbrush, and coincidentally Abraham and Isaac happened to arrive on the scene. But to believing Abraham, who was led for three days toward that one point in time and space in desperate need of a divine provision, it was altogether clear to him that God, by whatever process, had stationed the ram at the place of sacrifice for his use. “Provision” and “providence” are coordinately related to their verbal root, “provide,” and are essentially and etymologically the same. However, they are theologically distinguished in usage by providence’s having come to mean divine provision on the basis of foresight.<\/p>\n<p>The great text on providence in the NT is also set in a context of sacrifice pleasing to God. Paul had reason to commend the Philippians’ sacrificial support of his missionary work. To them he stated his unbounded confidence in the providential care of God: “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The sacrifice of Christ Jesus for us confirms the doctrine of providence with a most reasonable certitude. What God initially required of Abraham but did not ultimately require (the sacrifice of his son), he required of himself and did fulfill two millennia later. It is God’s nature to supply, to foresee man’s need and to provide for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProvidenceandtheNatureofGod\">Providence and the Nature of God<\/p>\n<p>Immediately following his reassuring words to the Philippians about the treasury of providence (“his riches in glory”—Phil 4:19), the apostle Paul wrote a doxology to God “our Father” (v 20). Providence is appropriately pictured in the fatherhood of God. His fatherhood is the attribute, and providence is the act that expresses it. Fathers provide and guide. Fathers construct conditions of opportunity for children without crowding their freedom. They exercise governance in a context of caring. Providence, therefore, as an activity of God, flows naturally from God’s fatherly nature.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination; God, Being and Attributes of.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PROVIDENCE* God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him. Significance of Providence All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence ...","summary_en":"PROVIDENCE* God’s activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him. Significance of Providence All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":38703,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"World","title_en":"World","content_ro":"<h3>WORLD<\/h3>\n<p>An important NT term from the Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">kosmos<\/span> (meaning that which is ordered or arranged), having five different meanings:<\/p>\n<p>1. The universe created by God with design and order (e.g., Mt 13:35; Jn 17:24; Acts 17:24).<\/p>\n<li>2. The planet earth (e.g., Jn 11:9). This includes the idea of earth as the dwelling place of human beings (16:21) and of earth as contrasted with heaven (6:14; 12:46).<\/li>\n<li>3. The total of humanity (Mt 5:14; Jn 3:16; 1 Cor 4:13).<\/li>\n<li>4. The total of human existence in this present life, with all of its experience and possessions (Mt 16:26; 1 Cor 7:33).<\/li>\n<li>5. The world order as alienated from God, in rebellion against him, and condemned for its godlessness. It is “this world” (Jn 8:23; 12:25; 1 Cor 3:19), as opposed to “that which is to come.” The ruler of this world is the devil (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 Cor 5:10)—as John said it, “The whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19, <span>niv<\/span>). Christians are not of this world (Jn 15:19; 17:16), even though they live in the world and participate in its activities (17:11). The believer is regarded as dead to the world (Gal 6:14; cf. Col 3:2-3). The Christian is to be separated from the world (Jas 1:27).<\/li>\n<p>One’s relationship with the world is an indicator of one’s relationship with God. Those who love the world are void of love for God the Father (1 Jn 2:15). The Scripture points out that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world” (v 16, <span>rsv<\/span>). The world and its desires or lusts are transient, passing away, but the doer of God’s word abides forever (1 Jn 2:17; cf. 2 Cor 4:18). Friendship with the world is enmity toward God (Jas 4:4).<\/p>\n<p>The discourse of Jesus on the night before his crucifixion contains much teaching about the world. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth (Jn 14:17). Christ gives a peace that the world cannot give (v 27). Jesus offers love, while the world gives hatred and persecution (15:19-20). The world’s hatred of God is also directed against the followers of Christ (vv 18-21). Although the disciples of Jesus have tribulation “in this world,” they are to be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world (16:33).<\/p>\n<p>Another Greek word sometimes translated “world” is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">aion<\/span><em>,<\/em> which emphasizes the temporal aspect of the world. It is used of time without end, eternity (e.g., Rom 1:25; 2 Cor 11:31; Phil 4:20). <em>See<\/em> Age.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>WORLD<\/h3>\n<p>An important NT term from the Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">kosmos<\/span> (meaning that which is ordered or arranged), having five different meanings:<\/p>\n<p>1. The universe created by God with design and order (e.g., Mt 13:35; Jn 17:24; Acts 17:24).<\/p>\n<li>2. The planet earth (e.g., Jn 11:9). This includes the idea of earth as the dwelling place of human beings (16:21) and of earth as contrasted with heaven (6:14; 12:46).<\/li>\n<li>3. The total of humanity (Mt 5:14; Jn 3:16; 1 Cor 4:13).<\/li>\n<li>4. The total of human existence in this present life, with all of its experience and possessions (Mt 16:26; 1 Cor 7:33).<\/li>\n<li>5. The world order as alienated from God, in rebellion against him, and condemned for its godlessness. It is “this world” (Jn 8:23; 12:25; 1 Cor 3:19), as opposed to “that which is to come.” The ruler of this world is the devil (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 1 Cor 5:10)—as John said it, “The whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19, <span>niv<\/span>). Christians are not of this world (Jn 15:19; 17:16), even though they live in the world and participate in its activities (17:11). The believer is regarded as dead to the world (Gal 6:14; cf. Col 3:2-3). The Christian is to be separated from the world (Jas 1:27).<\/li>\n<p>One’s relationship with the world is an indicator of one’s relationship with God. Those who love the world are void of love for God the Father (1 Jn 2:15). The Scripture points out that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world” (v 16, <span>rsv<\/span>). The world and its desires or lusts are transient, passing away, but the doer of God’s word abides forever (1 Jn 2:17; cf. 2 Cor 4:18). Friendship with the world is enmity toward God (Jas 4:4).<\/p>\n<p>The discourse of Jesus on the night before his crucifixion contains much teaching about the world. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth (Jn 14:17). Christ gives a peace that the world cannot give (v 27). Jesus offers love, while the world gives hatred and persecution (15:19-20). The world’s hatred of God is also directed against the followers of Christ (vv 18-21). Although the disciples of Jesus have tribulation “in this world,” they are to be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world (16:33).<\/p>\n<p>Another Greek word sometimes translated “world” is <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">aion<\/span><em>,<\/em> which emphasizes the temporal aspect of the world. It is used of time without end, eternity (e.g., Rom 1:25; 2 Cor 11:31; Phil 4:20). <em>See<\/em> Age.<\/p>","summary_ro":"WORLD An important NT term from the Greek word kosmos (meaning that which is ordered or arranged), having five different meanings: 1. The universe created by God with design and order (e.g., Mt 13:35; Jn 17:24; Acts 17:24). 2. The planet earth (e.g., Jn 11:9). This includes the idea of earth as the dwelling place of human beings (16:21) and of earth as contrasted with heaven (6:14; 12:46). 3. The total of humanity (Mt 5:14; Jn 3:16; 1 Cor 4:13). 4. The total of human existence in this present...","summary_en":"WORLD An important NT term from the Greek word kosmos (meaning that which is ordered or arranged), having five different meanings: 1. The universe created by God with design and order (e.g., Mt 13:35; Jn 17:24; Acts 17:24). 2. The planet earth (e.g., Jn 11:9). This includes the idea of earth as the dwelling place of human beings (16:21) and of earth as contrasted with heaven (6:14; 12:46). 3. The total of humanity (Mt 5:14; Jn 3:16; 1 Cor 4:13). 4. The total of human existence in this present...","source":"Articles\/W.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58297,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:20","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:20","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","summary_en":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85923,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:20","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:20","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","summary_en":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113549,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:20","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:20","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","summary_en":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141175,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:20","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:20","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:20<\/strong> Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","summary_en":"4:20 Having reflected on God’s glorious blessings, Paul concludes appropriately with an expression of praise to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"21":[{"id":30217,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to the Philippians","title_en":"Letter to the Philippians","content_ro":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>PHILIPPIANS, L<span>etter to the<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of Paul’s Prison Epistles.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DateandOrigin\">Date and Origin<\/p>\n<p>While it is clear that Paul was writing from prison (Phil 1:12-13), it is not clear where he was imprisoned. The most likely possibility is Rome, in which case the date would be around <span>AD<\/span> 62. But some have thought that all the journeys implied in 4:14 and 2:25-26 make such a distant place unlikely (the Philippians hear that Paul is in prison and send a gift by Epaphroditus; Epaphroditus hears in Rome that the Philippians have heard that he has been ill). So the alternatives of Ephesus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 55) and Caesarea (c. <span>AD<\/span> 58) have been proposed. We know that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35), but the greeting “from those of Caesar’s household” is difficult to explain if it was written there, in spite of the coincidence of name. Ephesus is certainly near enough to Philippi for plenty of interchange, but no imprisonment is recorded in the account of Paul’s ministry there in Acts. So we would have to assume that Luke’s account in Acts 19 is not complete and that Paul had been placed in protective custody at the time of the riot (see esp. 19:30-31). But such an imprisonment could hardly have led Paul to wonder whether his time “to depart and be with Christ” had now come (Phil 1:23). At the time of writing, he was clearly facing a capital charge.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional location (Rome) seems the most satisfactory, especially when one reflects that Paul was imprisoned there for at least two years (Acts 28:30), and that it took about three weeks to travel from Rome to Philippi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Philippi had the distinction of being a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), a privilege accorded to only a few cities outside Italy. Some 90 years before the gospel arrived there (c. <span>AD<\/span> 50), the city had been greatly expanded by large numbers of Roman soldiers, who were settled there by their commanding officers. As a consequence, the town acquired its coveted status as a colony, which meant that for all intents and purposes its citizens were treated as if they lived in Italy, and the town had a fully Roman administration. Paul alludes to this status in Philippians 3:20, where he teaches that Christians likewise are citizens of another city, the heavenly one, while yet residents elsewhere. It was a rich and busy place, one of the main centers of life in Macedonia, and consequently was “home” to the adherents of many different religions, from both east and west. There was a strong Jewish community there, as well as pagans of many sorts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheologicalThemes\">Theological Themes<\/p>\n<p>In a sense Paul’s imprisonment is not just background material but lies at the heart of the letter’s message. In his imprisonment he was experiencing the abasement that he mentions in 4:12, using there the same word found in 2:8 to describe the self-humbling of Christ unto death. The pattern of the ministry of Jesus described in the great “hymn” of 2:6-11—humiliation followed by glorification—becomes the pattern of Paul’s own life and of the vision he holds out before the Philippians. So alongside abasement and suffering, joy is the other great theme of the letter. Within suffering and self-sacrifice, true joy is born. In fact, Philippians could justly be titled “The Epistle of Joy.” Other prominent themes include the gospel, the Day of the Lord, and in addition to the famous “hymn” in chapter 2, a comparison of Paul’s Jewish past with his present Christian experience (3:4-16).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Greeting and Opening Prayer (1:1-11)<\/h5>\n<p>In the opening paragraph of his letter, Paul presents the themes that will be uppermost in his mind throughout. His personal warmth toward the Philippians is immediately striking: “I have you in my heart. . . . I long for all of you” (1:7-8), and this thought of outgoing and suffering love undergirds the whole letter. It is notable, too, that the letter begins and ends with the themes of “grace” and of “the saints” (1:1-2; 4:21-23). The grace of Christ, which reaches out to sinful people and transforms them, separating them from the world, occupies Paul throughout. “The saints” are the ones who, touched by that grace, are transformed in heart and mind, so that their love abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (1:9).<\/p>\n<p>Two more great themes appear here. The Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">phroneo<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to think,” is used more in Philippians than in any other letter of Paul, no fewer than nine times (as against seven in Romans). Unfortunately, it is not uniformly translated in the English versions, and so it is hard for the English reader to notice its repeated appearance and the emphasis on the right use of the mind that goes with it. But for Paul this is vital: the way we think is at the heart of the Christian life, and in these opening verses he makes it clear that the love he feels for the Philippians is actually the Christian way of thinking about them (v 7: literally, “It is right for me to think this way about you”). This leads naturally to another emphasis—growth. For the “Christian mind” does not appear overnight. So Paul prays that this mind may grow, giving the Philippians powers of discernment that will transform their character and prepare them for “the day of Christ” (vv 10-11; cf. v 6).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we note in this opening prayer the twin emphases on the gospel and on fellowship—linked in Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel (v 5; cf. v 7)—and also the introduction of the great theme of joy (v 4). All three are vital to the whole letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul and His Imprisonment: Christ Exalted (1:12-26)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul writes about his own situation to present the heart of his message. For when he writes, “For me to live is Christ” (v 21), he means more than that his every waking moment is taken up by fellowship with his Lord and service for him. He means also that, in his own person and experience, he displays Christ and “lives” him. Later he will say, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing” (4:9, <span>nlt<\/span>). Few Christian ministers would dare make such a claim today! Yet Paul believed that, as an apostle of Christ, it was his privilege not just to speak on Christ’s behalf but also to live out Christ’s life in his own person, even if that meant suffering and humiliation.<\/p>\n<p>There are two historical difficulties here. First, it is hard to reconstruct the situation to which Paul refers in 1:12-18. The church in Rome (if that is where he is) was clearly divided about his imprisonment—some believers actually being glad that he was behind bars. It seems as though they were prompted by his imprisonment to get on with preaching their own version of the gospel. Far from being upset by this, Paul is delighted! “What does it matter?” he asks (v 18). Whether by friend or foe, Christ is being proclaimed in a new way as a result of his imprisonment (v 14). He was normally quick to defend the purity of the Word proclaimed, so these rivals of Paul could not have been heretics.<\/p>\n<p>The other historical difficulty surrounds verses 19-26. At one moment Paul seems not to know what the outcome of imprisonment will be (vv 19-21). Yet he then suggests that he can choose whether to live or die (v 22), and finally tells the Philippians that he is sure he will remain alive (v 25). The best explanation is that Paul believed he had received a personal assurance from the Holy Spirit that his imprisonment would not end with his execution.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, his attitude about his own death is most moving. He expected deliverance, whether by life or by death (vv 19-20), and had an unshakeable confidence that to die is “better by far” (v 23), because it means being “with Christ.” This section ends with a note of joy.<\/p>\n<h5>The Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–2:18)<\/h5>\n<p>This section ends with “joy,” just as the last did, and its whole message is summed up in the opening exhortation of verse 27. Paul wanted the Philippians to be people in whom there is no gap between profession and practice, in whom the gospel believed is the gospel lived. The section falls into four portions, which might be entitled as follows: (1) 1:27-30—the worthy life in a hostile world; (2) 2:1-4—the worthy life in Christian fellowship; (3) 2:5-11—the gospel that inspires us; (4) 2:12-18—priorities for lives worthy of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Paul refused to let the Philippians feel that he was worse off than they. He wrote, “We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle” (1:30, <span>nlt<\/span>). For suffering at the hands of a hostile world is part and parcel of Christian discipleship. If we profess to believe a gospel about one who, though equal with God, left aside the glory of heaven and submitted not just to incarnation but also to a horrible death (2:6-8), then we must think of suffering not as an unfortunate necessity but as a privilege! “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (1:29, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The essential quality the believers need, in order to face successfully the hostility of the world, is unity. They must be “standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News” (1:27), and believing one gospel will produce a united front against the world—and not a purely defensive front, either. The theme of unity continues into chapter 2, where Paul turns to life within the fellowship (2:1-4), as if to say that external unity before the world will not be possible unless their hearts and minds are truly united in one love, spirit, and purpose (v 2), whatever their outward situation. Such a unity will come only if there is tenderness and compassion among them (v 1). The lovely progression in verse 1 reaches a climax with this phrase, and that in turn leads into the famous “hymn” in 2:6-11. Such tenderness will not find its home in their hearts unless they believe the gospel about which the hymn sings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether 2:6-11 was in fact a real hymn, sung in the context of early Christian worship, is now impossible to know for sure. Certainly Paul’s language here takes on a hymnic quality, though it is not in poetic form. Many scholars have thought that Paul did not write these verses himself but was quoting a well-known piece of liturgy. All one can say for certain is that his language changes in style, and he expressed here ideas that are unique in his writings.<\/p>\n<p>The hymn blends in with its context beautifully, and in fact forms the core of the whole letter. For we see here how the experience of imprisonment and deliverance, and of suffering and joy, is an entering into the experience of Jesus himself, who died and rose, was humbled and glorified.<\/p>\n<h5>Two Worthy Examples and Friends (2:19-30)<\/h5>\n<p>Paul again writes about his own situation and plans, but as before, this section is not just concerned with practical arrangements. On the face of it, he was simply explaining why he was sending the letter by the hand of Epaphroditus instead of Timothy. But actually he was holding them up as practical examples of the life lived by the gospel, about which he had just written. Timothy “genuinely cares about your welfare” (2:20), because, unlike everyone else, he did not seek his own interests but those of Jesus Christ (v 21). He lived the gospel! He was committed to the work of the gospel (v 22). And Epaphroditus was the same, though in a different way. His union with Jesus was expressed not so much in his self-giving service for the gospel and his fellow saints, as in the illness that he suffered and the pains of separation that he endured. Like Jesus, he put his life on the line (v 30), and like Jesus, he was restored to life again (v 27). Now he was to be restored to his beloved Philippians, and the joy that they would experience together would be a further outworking of the gospel.<\/p>\n<h5>Pressing Forward and Standing Firm (3:1–4:1)<\/h5>\n<p>This section also begins and ends on the note of joy (3:1; 4:1)—not accidentally. The way of the cross that Paul describes is also the way of joy (cf. Heb 12:2). It begins and ends also with the address “dear brothers and sisters,” and this, too, is not accidental, for once again in this passage Paul writes about himself, and once again the underlying thought is that his experience is typical and that his readers should expect and seek to see the same pattern in their lives. He wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” (3:17, <span>nlt<\/span>). Having put forward Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2:19-30, Paul now does the same with himself.<\/p>\n<p>The tone seems to change dramatically in 3:2, as Paul turns to warn the Philippians against “those dogs,” who are probably the same as those to whom he refers in 1:28 as “your enemies.” There, he was much concerned about the inner foundation of the Philippians’ stand against them, so he did not specify who they were. But now he examines them more closely, in order to show the Philippians that the Christian life entails a complete reversal of the values held by their opponents.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that they were Jews, the sort in Acts 17:5 who opposed Paul’s ministry in nearby Thessalonica. They believed that they were God’s chosen race, but Paul thought that was nothing more than placing confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:4). They thought they knew the way of righteousness—it is the way of rigorous and disciplined obedience to God’s law in every detail of life. But Paul thought that was to seek a righteousness of one’s own (v 9), having nothing to do with the righteousness that God wants to give. The true way to be God’s people, he movingly insists, is the way of self-renunciation, so that all he previously held dear as a Jew came to be seen as rubbish (v 8), considered as loss for the sake of Christ (v 7). The only way to attain righteousness is through faith in Christ (v 9), for Christians must become like him in his death if they are to know the power of his resurrection (v 10). For Paul, dying with Christ meant not just suffering imprisonment and many other indignities for Christ’s sake but also renouncing all the prized possessions that his Judaism had given him.<\/p>\n<h5>Thinking, Rejoicing, Sharing (4:2-23)<\/h5>\n<p>Again, the tone changes suddenly (both at 4:2 and at 4:10)—so much so that some scholars have suggested that Philippians was compiled by an editor using several different letters. But when Paul turns (in v 2) to address Euodia and Syntyche, he was not really changing the subject. The link with the last section is the same as that between 1:27-30 and the first paragraph in chapter 2: how can Christians expect to be able to hold their own in the face of some enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18) if they are disunited and at odds with each other? For if there is just one gospel, disharmony between Christians means that the gospel is not having its full effect. So Euodia and Syntyche are urged (literally) to “think the same thing in the Lord” (4:2), and are then reminded of how they once found a wonderful unity in striving side by side in the cause of the gospel (v 3).<\/p>\n<p>The agreement that Paul urges them to come to does not mean complete identity of opinions on all subjects. It means a oneness of heart in a common love for Christ and the gospel. In the rest of the letter Paul spells out what this oneness means in practice—both what it should mean and what it has meant for the Philippians. The use of the mind is vital, and in verses 4-9 Paul paints a picture of the Christian life in which careful and intelligent prayer (vv 6-7) and the deliberate directing of the mind toward “whatever is true and honorable” (v 8) will produce a life marked by the two qualities of peace and joy, whatever the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>That leads to the final paragraph, in which Paul gives thanks that, in spite of the disharmony evident in one part of the Philippian church, the church as a whole has already displayed this true Christian “mind.” For they have shown their oneness with Paul in the cause of the gospel by sending him a gift by Epaphroditus. “You have done well to share with me in my present difficulty,” Paul writes (4:14), and our thoughts go back again to the hymn in 2:6-11. From the gospel about the one who came from heaven to bear our burdens comes this mutual sharing—and so does Paul’s wonderful attitude to his circumstances: “I know how to be humbled [the same word as in 2:8], and I know how to abound” (4:12). Joined to Christ, we do not anxiously seek provision for our needs (v 17; cf. v 6), but share with him and with others whatever humiliation and exaltation he sends, confident that God will meet all our needs “from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (4:19, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Philippi.<\/p>","summary_ro":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","summary_en":"PHILIPPIANS, Letter to the One of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Preview • Author • Date and Origin • Background • Theological Themes • Content Author Philippians is like 2 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon in that Paul shared its authorship with Timothy. The appearance of Timothy’s name at the start of these letters, however, probably does not mean that he had any greater part in their composition than perhaps to act as Paul’s secretary. Date and Origin While it is clear ...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"22":[{"id":5915,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Household*, Caesar’s","title_en":"Household*, Caesar’s","content_ro":"<h3>CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD*<\/h3>\n<p>Term referring to imperial servants, both slave and free, in Rome and in the provinces of the Roman Empire. The apostle Paul closed his letter to the Philippian Christians with greetings from those “of Caesar’s household” (4:22, <span>rsv<\/span>). The imperial household staff numbered in the hundreds, and the positions carried a certain amount of social importance.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Martyrdom of Paul, written in the second century, when Paul arrived at Rome, he was greeted by people “from Caesar’s household.” He put himself in communication with the local Jewish leaders and preached and taught unhindered (Acts 28:17, 31). Some men and women were convinced and believed (Acts 28:23-24), no doubt including some in Caesar’s household. The message even spread to the whole Praetorian Guard (Phil 1:13). Some scholars trace certain believers mentioned in Romans 16 to members of the imperial household.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Caesars, The.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD*<\/h3>\n<p>Term referring to imperial servants, both slave and free, in Rome and in the provinces of the Roman Empire. The apostle Paul closed his letter to the Philippian Christians with greetings from those “of Caesar’s household” (4:22, <span>rsv<\/span>). The imperial household staff numbered in the hundreds, and the positions carried a certain amount of social importance.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Martyrdom of Paul, written in the second century, when Paul arrived at Rome, he was greeted by people “from Caesar’s household.” He put himself in communication with the local Jewish leaders and preached and taught unhindered (Acts 28:17, 31). Some men and women were convinced and believed (Acts 28:23-24), no doubt including some in Caesar’s household. The message even spread to the whole Praetorian Guard (Phil 1:13). Some scholars trace certain believers mentioned in Romans 16 to members of the imperial household.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Caesars, The.<\/p>","summary_ro":"CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD* Term referring to imperial servants, both slave and free, in Rome and in the provinces of the Roman Empire. The apostle Paul closed his letter to the Philippian Christians with greetings from those “of Caesar’s household” (4:22, rsv). The imperial household staff numbered in the hundreds, and the positions carried a certain amount of social importance. According to the Martyrdom of Paul, written in the second century, when Paul arrived at Rome, he was greeted by people “fr...","summary_en":"CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD* Term referring to imperial servants, both slave and free, in Rome and in the provinces of the Roman Empire. The apostle Paul closed his letter to the Philippian Christians with greetings from those “of Caesar’s household” (4:22, rsv). The imperial household staff numbered in the hundreds, and the positions carried a certain amount of social importance. According to the Martyrdom of Paul, written in the second century, when Paul arrived at Rome, he was greeted by people “fr...","source":"Articles\/C.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58298,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:22","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:22","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","summary_en":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85924,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:22","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:22","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","summary_en":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113550,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:22","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:22","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","summary_en":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141176,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:22","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:22","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> <em>Those in Caesar’s household<\/em> were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been <em>especially<\/em> close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","summary_en":"4:22 Those in Caesar’s household were believers employed in the service of the Roman government—perhaps those whom Paul had evangelized while in prison. They might have been especially close to Paul and concerned for him in prison (see 1:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"23":[{"id":58299,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:23","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:23","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","summary_en":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":85925,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:23","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:23","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","summary_en":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113551,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:23","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:23","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","summary_en":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141177,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Filipeni 4:23","title_en":"Study Note: Filipeni 4:23","content_ro":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>4:23<\/strong> In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes <em>the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em> on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The <em>spirit<\/em> is the part of the person that relates directly to God.<\/p>","summary_ro":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","summary_en":"4:23 In closing his letters, Paul usually invokes the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on those to whom he writes (see also 1:2). Believers depend on Christ’s grace to save and sustain them. • The spirit is the part of the person that relates directly to God.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}]},"labels":{"article":"Articol","map":"Hartă","chart":"Diagramă","textbox":"Notă explicativă","picture":"Imagine","profile":"Profil","study_note":"Notă de studiu","theme_note":"Temă biblică"},"icons":{"article":"📖","map":"🗺️","chart":"📊","textbox":"💡","picture":"🖼️","profile":"👤","study_note":"📝","theme_note":"🎯"},"typeColors":{"article":"#d4af37","map":"#2d7d46","chart":"#3b82f6","textbox":"#8b5cf6","picture":"#ec4899","profile":"#f59e0b","study_note":"#06b6d4","theme_note":"#ef4444"}}
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Filipeni 4
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