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Acts 28:30-31NKJV– Paul is in a Roman Prison for Two Years & Writes Philippians:

Philippians Comes Alive after Studying the Book of Acts!

The last two verses in the book of Acts tell us that Paul was detained for two years in Rome, but he was able to continue teaching and meeting people in the secure quarters where he was being held. During this time, Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians. Within this letter, Paul provided many teachings, statements, and illustrations, many of which linked back to the circumstances that Paul experienced as captured in the book of Acts. This devotional links many of these events to various statements, teachings, and illustrations within the Letter to the Philippians. The teachings of Philippians become even more vivid after rehearsing these connections between Acts and Philippians. This devotional should also move us to action to live out the truths that Paul and the believers acted upon during the birth and growth of the Church!

Acts Chapter 16:11-40 provides a vivid description of the birth of the church in Philippi, which makes Philippians 1:1, 6, a testimony about God’s greatness in building His Church!

One of the customary elements of writing a first-century letter was to first identify the sender and then identify the recipients. Paul adopted this standard format in Philippians 1:1 (One can see this very format used in a letter from the Roman Commander, Claudius Lysias, to Felix the Roman Governor in Acts 23:26). Philippians 1:1 NKJV says, “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” This may come across as a mundane statement, but it is actually a testimony of the greatness of God and how He can use anyone to build His Church! Notice some key words in this verse, “saints” (notice it is plural) and “bishops and deacons” (notice these are official, authoritative titles of an established church). Now consider how the book of Acts provides a vivid context to Philippians 1:1 that allows us to celebrate God’s greatness in building His Church.

Acts 16:11-40 is where the book of Acts records the first encounter Paul experienced in Philippi. Philippi was not even on his agenda, but the Lord directed him there (Acts 16:9-10). He met Lydia, a woman from Thyatira who was in Philippi because of the trade she was in. She put her faith in Jesus Christ, and her entire household became Christians. Then Paul cast a demon out of a girl who was constantly mocking them, and Paul got put in prison. That night, Paul and Silas sang praises, and God brought an earthquake that made the bars open and their shackles drop off them. The Philippian jailer saw and heard everything and asked how he could be saved. He put his faith in Jesus Christ along with his entire household. In the morning, they asked Paul and Silas to leave because they learned that they had beaten Paul, a Roman citizen, illegally (see also Acts 22:22-28 NKJV). “So, they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed” (Acts 16:40 NKJV). These few people comprised the charter membership of the church of Philippi. That was it! So, what is the likelihood of this church having a strong chance to survive, let alone thrive?

There would not be much of a chance if left alone to human effort. But when God is building His Church, nothing can stop it. Notice that the Letter to the Philippians was written 10 years after the founding of the church in Acts 16. And notice the key words he used in his greeting to them in the letter, “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” There were many believers who comprised the church at Philippi, and there were official, authoritative titles that indicated mature leaders within the church! This reality really makes Philippians 1:6 a powerful testimony of the greatness of God in building His Church, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Acts chapters 21-28 provide a very detailed context for a simple phrase Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12.

Paul had heard that the people of Philippi were becoming discouraged because they heard that Paul was in prison and no longer able to travel. They had supported Paul so much with their finances and physical support to help him travel, but now they were beginning to doubt if Paul’s ministry had halted and lost all its positive effectiveness. To comfort them, Paul wrote Philippians 1:12, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” Notice the phrase, “things which happened to me.” The people of Philippi read this and only knew that he was in prison. They did not even know it would only be for two years, but they knew a year had passed by the time the letter was written to the Philippians. They wondered what “things” Paul was referring to. So, Paul attempted to share a little detail in Philippians 1:13 but was in no way able to capture all that we, the readers of the Bible, know God did through Paul during this season.

The book of Acts chapters 21-28 provide the readers of the Bible with very detailed context behind the words “the things that have happened unto me” (Philippians 1:12a). While Paul endured through some pretty challenging times, we now have learned through this Bible study how many amazing witnessing opportunities Paul engaged in because of being detained in Rome from Acts chapter 21-28 – things that would never have occurred if Paul was not in Roman custody! He was given Roman protection as he held a spontaneous preaching rally in the middle of the heart of Jerusalem (Acts 22); he stood in front of the entire Jerusalem Sanhedrin (the Jewish Supreme Court) and spoke on the resurrection (Acts 23); he stood before two Roman governors (Acts 24 & 25) and gave his testimony and presented the Gospel, he had private one-on-one talks with one of the Roman governors (Acts 24); he stood in the presence of King Agrippa and shared his testimony and the Gospel and made a bold attempt to ask the king if he would put his faith in Jesus (Act 26); he traveled to Rome and met with all the key Jewish leaders in Rome and some believed in Jesus (Acts 28); and while awaiting to appeal to the emperor himself, he led people to the Lord while in custody (Philemon verses 10, 15, 16), and wrote to instruct and encourage the Ephesian church, the Colossian church, along with Philemon! And Paul was given protection by literally hundreds of Roman soldiers to and from every destination to safely get to his next ministry opportunity. The book of Acts really amplifies what the Letter to the Philippians mentions in a simple phrase, “the things that have happened unto me” (Philippians 1:12a NKJV)!

And while this was a beautiful and inspiring context, notice that the actual believers of Philippi never fully learned about all this wonderful context, like the readers of the entire Bible know. Therefore, because we have the entire counsel of God’s Word at our fingertips, our faith in God’s greatness and assurance that God will build His Church despite any forces that come against it should be strong – even stronger than those who only had a fraction of the understanding of all the details that unfolded in the book of Acts.

Philippians 4:6-7 helps us understand the spiritual prayers of Paul while he was detained in Rome in Acts 28:30-31 and how he regained his boldness and confidence.

At the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he encouraged them to pray to God in every possible way over every detail of their lives. He then promised that the peace of God would come after they placed it in God’s hands through prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV). Paul made it clear that they did not have to wait for the answer to their questions or for a resolution to the problems to receive peace. Their peace would come when they placed it in God’s hands through prayer.

This spiritual advice is undoubtedly what revived Paul’s spirit while being held in Rome for two years. Knowing Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in the second year of his two-year imprisonment, after he wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, he had a lot of time to work out his spiritual challenges and cultivate an even stronger prayer life. Thus, Philippians 4:6-7 provides for us a model of prayer coming from a very seasoned minister who had seen how placing all matters of life and ministry in God’s hands can bring peace. At this season of life, Paul understood that circumstances are ordered by the Lord and that his responsibility was simply to remain faithful to God. So, it is no surprise that Paul explicitly omitted any comments about receiving an answer from God or coming to an agreeable resolution to problems with this advice. He intentionally emphasized that we are to run to Christ, place all our cares in His arms, and then rest well in His divine peace.

Ponder & Pray Today…

Reflect on how the book of Acts sheds a lot of light on the backstory of Philippians 1:6. If you are honest, have you ever counted someone out or prejudged the way s/he would turn out based on first impressions or on one part of his/ her story? Then you found out the person was so different than what you first thought. Or that maybe they were just as you had perceived, but God did an amazing work in their lives, and now it makes you a little ashamed for making a premature judgment about them? Has anyone ever done the same thing to you? Now ponder how God feels when people prejudge a person based on what they are and not what they could be with God’s help and empowerment.

Pray and ask God to give you His eyes when meeting people for the first time. Ask Him to give your heart a gracious attitude towards them and a sincere hope that every person you meet will become strong believers who will do a lot for the cause of Christ. Ask Him to cultivate that very spirit in your heart today as you engage people at your workplace, around the community, and especially in your home. And then thank God that Philippians 1:6 applies to you and those believers with whom you come in contact.