"PaulsJourneys" Tagged Sermons
Paul’s journeys and imprisonment, and the debated question of his authorship of Ephesians, set the stage for the letter’s real subject, becoming what believers already are in Christ. That becoming is holy warfare, waged inside the ordinary household by husbands and wives, children, and slaves alike. Domestic life is a real battlefield.
Paul’s second missionary journey brought him to Philippi, and there the Philippians began to share in his ministry. Their participation was real, and traces of selfishness showed even in their gift to him. Paul’s gratitude does not require pretending the gift was flawless.
Paul’s journey to Philippi sets up an outline of the whole letter, with encouragement, rebuke, and warning woven together. Joy in the risen Christ runs beneath all three and gives the letter its purpose. Every part of the letter connects to that center.