A Letter to Friends
Submitted by ang frayle on Friday, 31 October 2008No Comment
- Reading I: Philippians 1:1-11
- Resp. Psalm: Psalm 111:1-2,5-6
- Gospel Reading: Luke 14:1-6
The Philippian community was one of Paul’s favorite communities, if not the favorite. One can immediately feel it from the opening lines. Below are links to articles about the Letter to the Philippians
- WikiPedia: Philippi
- A Brief Description of Philippi
- History of Philippi
- Pictures of Philippi
- An Overview of the Letter to the Philippians (In Question-Answer form)
- Outline of the Letter to the Philippians
Those who have read the letter at least ones may remember it for the hymn about the self-emptying and glorification of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). But there are other brilliant passages as well that one might well memorize and use for prayer. Paul wrote this letter to people who have been helping him even during those moments when others have abandoned him. And there are small details in the letter where one is given a hint of the familiarity that Paul had with this community. In the Acts of the Apostles, the city of Philippi is mentioned only twice on of these in Acts 16:12-40 and another in Acts 20:6.
1Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.
2Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you,
4Always in all my prayers making supplication for you all, with joy;
5For your communication in the gospel of Christ from the first day until now.
6Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus.
7As it is meet for me to think this for you all, for that I have you in my heart; and that in my bands, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my joy.
8For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
9And this I pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowledge, and in all understanding:
10That you may approve the better things, that you may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ,
11Filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
1I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; in the council of the just: and in the congregation.
2Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all his wills.
5He hath given food to them that fear him. He will be mindful for ever of his covenant:
6He will shew forth to his people the power of his works.
1And it came to pass, when Jesus went into the house of one of the chief of the Pharisees, on the sabbath day, to eat bread, that they watched him.
2And behold, there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy.
3And Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
4But they held their peace. But he taking him, healed him, and sent him away.
5And answering them, he said: Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him out, on the sabbath day?
6And they could not answer him to these things.
5For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.
8He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
9For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:
10That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:
11And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
12And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were in this city some days conferring together.
13And upon the sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer; and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled.
14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.
15And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain girl, having a pythonical spirit, met us, who brought to her masters much gain by divining.
17This same following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach unto you the way of salvation.
18And this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit: I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her. And he went out the same hour.
19But her masters, seeing that the hope of their gain was gone, apprehending Paul and Silas, brought them into the marketplace to the rulers.
20And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: These men disturb our city, being Jews;
21And preach a fashion which it is not lawful for us to receive nor observe, being Romans.
22And the people ran together against them; and the magistrates rending off their clothes, commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the gaoler to keep them diligently.
24Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25And at midnight, Paul and Silas praying, praised God. And they that were in prison, heard them.
26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bands of all were loosed.
27And the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing his sword, would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying: Do thyself no harm, for we all are here.
29Then calling for a light, he went in, and trembling, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas.
30And bringing them out, he said: Masters, what must I do, that I may be saved?
31But they said: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.
33And he, taking them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes, and himself was baptized, and all his house immediately.
34And when he had brought them into his own house, he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his house, believing God.
35And when the day was come, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36And the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37But Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison: and now do they thrust us out privately? Not so; but let them come,
38And let us out themselves. And the serjeants told these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid, hearing that they were Romans.
39And coming, they besought them; and bringing them out, they desired them to depart out of the city.
40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia; and having seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
6But we sailed from Philippi after the days of the Azymes, and came to them to Troas in five days, where we abode seven days.
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