Gospel Friendship

Notes:

Main Theme Verse: v. 27:

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

“Live out your citizenship worthily”

“Let you manner of life”=Citizenship

“Live your citizenship be worthy of the gospel of Christ”

Blue Jays: Vows of Canada

Purpose: So that you’re standing firm in one spirit and one mind “Striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel.”

vv.27-30=One sentence in the Greek.

v. 28: “not frightened in anything by your opponents”

“Clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation and that from God.”

Citizenship=Deeply political Word:

“On the one hand, the city boasted of its privileged status as a Roman colony, made so by Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) after his decisive victory on the plains of Philippi; hence its people thereby had Roman citizenship conferred on them, a matter in which they took considerable pride.” Fee

Believe and Suffer

Fee: vv.29-30 “serve as the primary ‘historical context’ of the letter… we can only surmise [who the opposition is]. But in light of several hints within the letter, especially the emphasis on Christ as ‘lord’ and ‘savior,’ and of the loyalty of this colony to the cult of the emperor, it seems very likely that the (Roman) citizens of Philippi, who would have honored the emperor at every public gathering, were putting special pressure on the Philippian believers; their allegiance had now been given to another kyrios, Jesus, who had himself been executed at the hands of the empire.” Fee

“Same struggle”=Paul dealing with imprisonment of the state.

Not prescriptive, but descriptive.

v. 30: What conflict?

If you have encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection and sympathy...

Of course, they should and do...

Then, make my joy complete, total, whole by...

Same mind

Same love

Full accord

One Mind

How? Answer v. 3-4

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit...

“BUT, in humility, count others more significant than yourselves...”

v. 4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Introduction:

Citizenship:

I swear (or affirm) That I will be faithful And bear true allegiance To His Majesty King Charles the Third King of Canada His Heirs and Successors And that I will faithfully observe The laws of Canada Including the Constitution Which recognizes and affirms The Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples And fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Significant:

Dedication to a person, not a constitution

Gotta behave like a Canadian:

Buy your coffee at Tim Hortons.

Say bagel is such a way that it makes American snicker.

Conclusion??

American Constitution: Reject past allegiances.