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8/14/2019 Philippians S2_Web PDF
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Session 2
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The City: Politics1. Became a Roman colony in 42BC when
Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Cassiusand Brutus, the assassins of Julius Caesar
(Battle of Philippi).
2. They released some of their veteran soldiers
and colonized the city.
3. After defeating Antony in 30BC, Octavian
populated the city once again with soldiers,
perhaps veterans from the Praetorian Guard.
IMPLICATIONS1. There was tremendous loyalty to Caesar.
2. By the time we get to our letter date (Early 60s AD) there have been
three new generations of retired military families.
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The City: Commerce1. Located 10 miles north of a significant seaport.
Neapolis (Current Day Kavalla)
2. The Egnatian Way ran through the city.
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The City: Commerce1. Located 10 miles north of a significant seaport.
2. The Egnatian Way ran through the city.
IMPLICATIONS
1. Center of commerce & trade.2. Many new ideas passed through.
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Roman Religious Climate
Quotes throughout the next
section have been taken fromAtthe Origins of Christian Worship by
Larry W. Hurtado.
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Roman Religious Climate1. It was part of everything
It is in fact difficult to point to any aspect of life in that periodthat was not explicitly connected with religion. Birth, death,
marriage, the domestic sphere, civil and wider political life,
work, the military, socializing, entertainment, arts, music all
were imbued with religious significance and associations. Any
civic and public office also had religious connotations and ofteninvolved ex officio religious duties, such as public leadership in
periodic ceremonies in honor of the city deities. Any association
of tradesmen had its patron deity, and meetings included ritual
gestures in honor of the deity.
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Roman Religious ClimatePractically any meal, and certainly any formal dinner, included
ritual acknowledgement of deities, and might well be held inrooms that formed part of the temple of this or that deity. Each
military unit had its patron deities and performed regular
religious acts in honor of them. Divinities of the kitchen were
acknowledged in daily home routines of cooking. So, in things
grand and imposing, and in things routine and familiar, religionwas involved and divinities revered as appropriate in various
devotional actions
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Roman Religious Climate2. It was highly visible.
In the Roman era religion was not only a private affair but wasalso seen as very much a public aspect of life. Religious
ceremony was deliberately intended to be noticed and to
engage the entire village or city. In fact, it is likely that the
overwhelming number of all public events were explicitly
religious in character.Page 12
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Roman Religious Climate3. Worship was tied to well-being
In the Roman era a person well-being and good fortune wasthough to be directly related to their worship of the deities.
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Roman Religious Climate4. It was polytheistic
It is also important to understand that having one's owntraditional deities in no way prevented one from acknowledging
the validity of the deities of other peoples. It was fully accepted
that each ethnic group should have and continue to reverence
their own deities. Official Roman imperial policy was to
recognize and even to support the traditional religious devotionof all subject peoples.
Page 12
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Roman Religious Climate5. Included emperor worship
From the rule of Julius Caesar onward, initially in the East andthen creeping through the West, the goddess Roma
(representing imperial Rome itself) and the emperor too received
all the gestures of devotion of ancient religion (temples, their
images reverenced, sacrifices, hymns), expressing loyalty to
Rome and genuine gratitude for the benefits of Roman rule.Page 15
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Roman Religious Climate
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (traditionally c.69 - c.155) was arrested during a public
(pagan) festival and asked by his accusers: "What harm is there in saying 'Caesar is
Lord,' and offering incense and saving your life?". Replied Polycarp, who was burned at
the stake for his beliefs: "For eighty-six years I have been the servant [of Jesus Christ],
and he never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?".
http://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#paganhttp://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#paganhttp://www.museevirtuel.ca/Exhibitions/Annodomini/gloss-en.htm#pagan8/14/2019 Philippians S2_Web PDF
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Roman Religious Climate6. Involved sacred places
As in nearly all times and cultures, in the Roman world, too, thepractice of religion was particularly associated with sacred
places. Though appeals to the gods might be made wherever
the need arose, it was usually thought that there was special
efficacy in approaching them in the temples, shrines and other
sacred places with which they were more directly associated.Sacrifice in particular was more often than not deemed more
appropriate in the sacred places, and in some cases sacrifice
was forbidden elsewhere.
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Roman Religious Climate7. Involved the use of images
Here again we see the strongly visual nature of the religiousenvironment of the Roman era. It was thought the most natural
thing to have and use images representing the gods as foci of
worship. It was simply unimaginable to reverence any figure as
divine without registering this reverence in fashioning and using
sacred images.Page 21
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Roman Religious Climate7. Involved the practice of rituals
It is hard to imagine the practice of religion without some formof rituals, actions invested with specially sacred significance and
particularly expressive of piety that become regularized for this
or that religious group or tradition. In the Roman era, as in
nearly all ancient religion, there was a rich variety of ritual actions
for various occasions and for various deities.
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Roman Religious Climate8. Included meals
Indeed, it appears that the god in whose honor the meal washeld was understood as present at the table participating in
some spiritual way in the meal, probably as its host or guest of
honor. In fact, in one surviving invitation, the god Sarapis
himself extends the invitation!"
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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiEarly Christian worship did not take
place in a religious vacuum. The Romanworld was chock-full of religiosity, with a
dizzying array of religious groups,
movements, customs, activities and
related paraphernalia. Earliest Christian
faith did not represent religiousness overagainst irreligious culture, but had to
enter the 'traffic' as a new movement on
a very crowded and well-traveled
highway of religious activity. This vibrant
and diverse religious environment of theRoman world is very significant for
understanding that world and for any
accurate appreciation of earliest
Christian worship.
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The Gospel Goes to Philippi1. The Gospel required exclusive allegiance to Christ alone.
2. The gatherings of Christ-followers were in homes . . .no fancytemples.
3. The Christians did not use images (looking at each other).
4. The Christians did not have impressive rituals.
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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiGiven this, it is all the more important to consider what may
have characterized earliest Christian worship, what was 'on offer'there so to speak, and how Christian worship was meaningful to
adherents. It is clear that, in spite of the rather severe and
unusual demand for an exclusive devotional commitment, the
early Christian movement succeeded in winning converts. We
cannot say that the worship of' Christian groups was in itself afactor in Christian evangelism, but to hold their converts,
Christian fellowship and the corporate religious life within that
fellowship had to be sufficiently meaningful and satisfying to
suffice for the range of religious activities they were expected to
forego.
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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiThe early gathering basically had the Scriptures, each other, and the
Spirit of the risen Jesus.
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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiActs 16:1-12 records a divinely orchestrated plan to get the Gospel
to Macedonia. This major redirecting of the Gospel to Macedoniarequired divine interaction and a vision to Paul. This echoes the
redirection of the Gospel to the Gentiles which also required divine
intervention (an angel) and a vision to Peter in Acts 10.
1. Paul, Silas, and Timothy wanted to head South . . . but were
forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia (Acts 16:6)
2. They then decide to head North . . . but the Spirit of Jesus did not
permit them to go into Bithynia (Acts 16:7)
3. Pauls dream at Troas leads them to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-12
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BITHYNIA
GALATIA
ASIA
MYSIA
Phrygia
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MYSIA
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The Gospel Goes to PhilippiWho made up the initial church at Philippi?
1. Lydia of Thyatira and her household (Acts 16:13-15)2. Possibly a slave girl (Acts 16:16-18)
3. A jailer and his household (Acts 16:19-34)
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Sow What?As we think about the culture of Philippi and our day, there are many
similarities. The Gospel will still put Christ-followers at odds with theeverything-goes mentality.
1. Lets strengthen our resolve to embrace the Gospels call to
exclusivity and truly make Jesus Lord of our lives..
As we think about how God orchestrated events to get the Gospel
to Macedonia we can see Gods love for lost people and the need
for His servants to listen and cooperate.
1. Lets be thinking about Gods heart for our city, community, and
personal relationships that involve lost people. Lets listen andcooperate with what God wants to do.
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Sow What?As we think about how simplistic the early church was in
comparison to the religious context of the day we see that theGospel lived out in the lives of Christ-followers is more powerful than
the most extravagant trimmings.
1. Lets purpose to live out the Gospel with each other and eagerly
pray that God will take our simplicity of devotion to him and each
other and powerfully see people drawn to Him.
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Session 2