Category Archives: Epistles

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Five-

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Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Five~
This study and the following three weeks of lessons will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
Let us begin by looking at Proverbs 16:7 –

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be a peace with him.

Amen! 
Let us start today by looking over last week’s homework. Did you find any interesting cross-references? According to my Bible, there were quite a few I could list. I will list some New Testament references, but I do want to also discuss one specific Old Testament reference. First re-read Phil. 1:27 – 2:11 to get us thinking about our text. This portion of Philippians is considered a teaching part (1:27-2:18). The verses following 1:27 show how verse 27 is to be lived out.
Cross-references: 
Phil. 1:27 “Only let your manner of life (conduct) be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”
1 Tim. 4:12 “…but set the believers an example on speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, impurity.” See also Eph. 4:1.
Phil. 1:27 (continued) “…so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, …”
1 Cor. 1:10 “I appeal to you, brother, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” See also Eph. 4:3-6.
Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, …”
Matt. 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Moving ahead in our passage…
Phil. 2:3 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Rom. 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” See also James 4:10.
There are many, many more and it would take me quite a while to write them all down and you quite a while to read and check them. Did any of you find references to your Old Testament? How about to Isaiah 45? Please read all of Isaiah 45 and then we’ll look at it together.
Is. 45:1 – Do you remember who Cyrus is? Turn to 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 and read those verses. This passage is speaking about God fulfilling what Isaiah the prophet had been telling the Israelites for the entirety of the book of Isaiah – that if the Israelites don’t repent of their sin, and turn back to worship the Lord (see also 2 Chron. 36:15-16), He would destroy their nation and send them into exile, to a foreign land, and under the rule of a foreign king. Second Chronicles says, “He [the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar] took into exile those [Israelites] who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the King of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah*, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.”  *Read Jeremiah 25:11-12.
Now back in 2 Chronicles 36:22 – 23, (please turn there), we see that God ‘stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia,’ to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. Turn one page in your Bibles to the book of Ezra, and here Cyrus is mentioned again. Please read Ezra 1:1- 2:2. This is the same Cyrus we also find spoken of in Isaiah 45. So, let’s go back to Isaiah now that we know who Cyrus is and how God used him.
Please read chapter 45 in Isaiah, then Philippians 2:9-11, and then come back to Isaiah. Did you notice Paul quoting Isaiah 45:23 in Phil. 2:10-11? The Philippians passage comes right after Paul is taking about their manner of life being worthy of the gospel. Paul goes on to describe Jesus and his life, proving who he was and that he was Jesus Christ their Lord. The Isaiah passage Paul quotes is stating there is one and only one God, (Is. 45:5) the creator of all. God will use Cyrus, the Persian King, to restore and ‘save’ his people by returning them to the land God had promised them. (Does that sound familiar? This passage is a type or a foreshadowing of God’s true Anointed.) But, there are those who want to contend with the Lord and his decisions (Is. 45: 9-10). God then reminds them of who He is (Is. 45:11-13). Isaiah tells how God “will make all of his [Cyrus] ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for a price or reward,’ say the Lord of hosts.” (Is. 45:13) Farther in this section of Isaiah, verses 21-23 are focusing on the one and only God and Savior. These are strong statements to prove Jesus’ deity. Plus, Jesus’ humiliation and then subsequent exaltation is a mysterious work of God – to hide himself in human form; gods of stone and clay can’t do that!
Therefore, when Paul is quoting Isaiah to the Philippians, he is reminding them of who Jesus is. This is kind of a long explanation, but it is an important one.

The main idea of Phil. 1:27-2:11

 

Paul is exhorting and encouraging them to ‘let your manner be worthy of the gospel of Christ,” pointing out unity, boldness and humility, using Christ as the ultimate example.

 

This week’s lesson

As you are reading your Bible, when you see a ‘therefore’ do you ask yourself, “What is the ‘therefore’ there for? If you are not already doing so, ask yourself this question and then read a few passages above (or below depending on the author) to know the context and to see what it is we should be paying attention to. Is it important teaching you should look at again? Is it an ‘if-then’ statement, that tells you to do something? Is it a word or words that make you ask, “Why?” There are certain words or phrases that naturally connect two sentences, or two parts of a sentence together – to make them fit logically. I call them “pointers” and I will list a few for you:
And, moreover, furthermore, likewise, neither, nor, then, or, but, while, on the one hand, even as, like, not…but, because, for, since, therefore, consequently, in order that, so, although, so that, nevertheless, whenever, and many more. You probably read them every day without really paying attention to them. But, (and I just used one there!) careful Bible study demands you pay attention to them. Here’s an example from Philemon 1:13-14:

 “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be compulsion but of your own free will.”

Do you see the “pointers”? When you get to the first in order that, ask yourself the question, “Why?” right before you read it. The statement following the in order that, answers the question of why Paul would have been glad to keep him [Onesimus]. So, why didn’t Paul keep him then? Since (but) Paul didn’t want to do anything without Philemon’s consent. Why? (in order that) Philemon’s response would not be forced, or imposed, but his kindness would be out of brotherly love. Paying attention to how logical Paul is in his writings, gives us a better understanding of the meaning and intent of his letters. Looking at the “pointers” allows us to be able to paraphrase the text if need be.
Paraphrasing is when you say what someone else has already said, but using different words and in many times, condensing it into a shorter form. To begin a paraphrase, look for the key words, or the main words and then chose words to accompany them without loosing the meaning of the text. Be careful not to alter what is being said by your word choice.
If I paraphrased Philemon 1:13-17, it might look something like this:
I, Paul, would have liked, and did want Onesimus to stay with me during my time in jail, because he would have been a tremendous comfort and help to me, since I am jailed for the gospel, and you, yourself, were not able to be of aid. But, since I wasn’t able to ask you about it first, and he is still your slave, even though now he is a brother, I didn’t think it was right for me to keep him. So, I am sending him back to you. Philemon, I don’t want to force your hand in this decision, but, if you should choose to send him to me, I know it would be a sincere gift and one from your heart. And that is a better reason to do something rather than being forced into it.
(My paraphrase didn’t shorten the text – it appears to have lengthened it.) J
Sometimes, as we try to paraphrase writings, the meaning of the original text is made clearer, a sharper image of the passage it now visible to us. Sometimes paraphrasing can ‘water a text down’ – it can remove meaning by substituting words that create a different idea or response. Choose your words carefully.
This week’s homework…
Day 1) read Philippians 2:12-18 a few times. On the third time, circle any of the words that are “pointers” and then read to find out what the “pointer” is pointing and locate any logical relationships.
Day 2) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:12-13  – be careful not to change the meaning of the text.
Day 3) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:14-16
Day 4) Write a paraphrase of Phil. 2:17-18. Are you portraying the meaning of the text as Paul intended?
Day 5) Do you understand what Paul is saying more clearly than before? Write what you think the main point of Philippians 2:12-18 is.
We’re finished!
Thank you for coming to class, and for studying through Philippians with me. Becky, thank you for your kindness to me and your love to all the saints – wherever we may live!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Eileen
Related Posts:
Time to Study Philippians -Week One- 
Time to Study Philippians -Week Two-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-
Time to Study Philippians -Week Four-
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Time to Study Philippians -Week Three-

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Good morning ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Three!
This study and the following lessons, for the next five weeks, will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
To begin this third week, let us ask our Father in heaven for wisdom, for James tell us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”(Jas. 1:5) 
Let us look at our homework from last week. You may have more or less sections in your Philippians outline, or more information within in each section than I do. Be careful not to pick it apart so much that you miss the overall message in each of Paul’s divisions. Just like any letter we write today, or papers your children may be writing for school, Paul’s letter has an introduction (or an opening), a body, and a conclusion (or a closing).
Here is the brief outline:
In the left-hand margin, I have written 
Introduction. Vs. 1:1-11
1)    Who is sending the letter, who is the letter is written to, blessings and encouragement
2)    Speaks of his affections for the Philippians
3)    Tells them how he prays for them
Body (This is when Paul begins to talk about why he is writing the letter.)
       A) Paul’s experience in prison (this is in my margin) (1:12-26)
            1)  He tells them of the good that has come about and his joy
            2)  Speaks of his release and wanting to return to Philippi for their sake.
        B) He exhorts them to be in unity with one another (in my margin) (1:27-2:11)
1)    Not to be afraid when in conflict but be united
2)    To continue to be united, have humility, and care for one another
3)    Shows how Jesus is the perfect example of all of these things.
         C) Their sanctification and joy (in my margin) (2: 12-18)
1)    Paul commands them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling
2)    Exhorts them to stop grumbling and be lights in this world
3)    That their Godly lives would make Paul’s trials worthwhile.
4)    He rejoices with them even while he is suffering.
          D) News of Timothy and Epaphroditus (in my margin) (2:19-30)
1)    Hoping to send Timothy back, commend Timothy for being focused on their well-being.
2)    News of Epaphroditus, and mentions he will also send him to them.
           E) Paul’s Godly example and his teaching to oppose false teachers (in my margin)(3:1-16)
1)    Warning Philippians about finding their worth in something other than Christ
2)     Paul uses himself as an example of Jewishness (value of his heritage)
3)     Paul shows it is all has no value compared to knowing Christ Jesus
4)     Even still, Paul is not perfect, but he continues forward living for Christ.
            F) Final exhortations and instructions (in my margin) (3:17-4:9)
1)     Have wisdom in whom they imitate, standing firm in their knowledge
2)     Paul points out Euodia and Syntyche to agree with one another
3)     How to pray, what to think about, what to do

Conclusion – Thanksgiving for their gifts and Paul’s benediction to them (in my margin)

(4:10-23)
1)    Acknowledges their efforts, past and present, to send him aid, he also thanks them.
2)    Lets the Philippians know that he has learned contentment during his trials and persecution, with whatever the Lord has provided.
3)    Final greetings from himself and other saints (notice where some of the other saints live!), and blesses them.
There is something I would like to point to us as women, and that is this: Euodia and Syntyche will be remembered for all of history as women who couldn’t get along. They were even Paul’s fellow workers, busy with the church and the gospel. Do we want to be remembered as women who bicker and quarrel with one another?
How did you like reading in Acts 16:6-17:1, Thessalonians2:1-2, and then again Acts 28:16-31? Isn’t exciting to learn about Paul and Timothy’s relationship? How it began? Learning about Timothy’s relations? He describes in Acts how he (Paul) was previously beaten and thrown into prison when he was traveling in Macedonia, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Even though at the time Paul was writing Philippians he was in prison in Rome, it opens our eyes a bit more to understand what he might have been experiencing while writing this letter to the Philippians. Also, the Philippians understood what happened when someone was sent to prison. In Phil. 1:27-30, it would seem that Paul is reminding them of his time in prison in Macedonia, and now also in Rome as an encouragement to them-“let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…not to be frightened by their opponents… but that it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear I still have.” What a view into the past!
As we continue on in our study of Philippians, I would like to point out the importance of understanding what a verse says within the context it was written. If you were interviewed, and then misquoted, you would know that what was written down was not what you said or possibly even meant. The same is true when it comes to our Bibles. The Holy Spirit was (is) active and moving in the men who wrote these sixty-six books. To misquote them or misrepresent any text, would show that we do not love God and His Word as we ought to. So, stay within the context when you are quoting scripture!
Here is an example: I have a friend who once told me that, “The Bible says that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8, 16).” “But,” she went on, “if God is love then, then how comes he sends people to hell?” In her view, either the Bible is wrong, or God is not love. What she didn’t understand is that there is a third and a fourth option. The third option is that she doesn’t understand what her Bible is telling her. The fourth option is she doesn’t understand what love is. So, let’s look at the passage she was using. Please read 1 John 4:8, 16. Now read 1 John 4:7-20 (You’re welcome to read more, but this will give us the correct context of the passage.)
Does this passage define love as ‘not sending people to hell?’ No. This passage shows us what love is, as defined by the one who made love – God.  It is talking about the love that should exist between believers because of God’s love for them. (4:11-12) It is describing how God manifested his love to us or showed his love to us. “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (4:9-10) God’s love shows us that, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we don’t have to go to hell for our sins. Context is important.
Here’s another example: “Why are you pointing my sin out to me?” You’re a Christian. The Bible says you’re not supposed to judge people, (Matt. 7:1), so don’t judge me.”
Read Matthew 7:1 and then read Matthew 7:1-5. Yes, the Gospel of Matthew does say, “Do not judge”, but that is not all it says. Jesus teaches us that judging someone else (removing the speck from their eye) while we have sin (plank in our eye) is hypocritical. (vs. 5) Jesus tells us that how we judge someone else (thereby assuming we will) is how we in turn will be judged (vs.2). The point here is the way we judge someone else – do it without hypocrisy. Context is important.
To prepare us for our homework, let us look again briefly at Philemon. Read it through once more and while you read, notice if any questions come to mind. Do you wonder who Apphia and Archippus are? Do you wonder how Paul and Onesimus met? Did they meet before prison? Just how old is Paul? Are there questions that the text answers for you?
Use this same idea for this week’s homework.  
Day 1 – read Philippians 1:12-26. Think of five questions that come to mind while reading these verses. Write them down. Can you answer any of them from the text?
Day 2 – re-read Philippians 1:12-26. Think of five more (different) questions. Write them down. Can you answer any of them from the text? Can you think of more than five more?
Day 3 – re-read Philippians 1:12-26. Are there any questions that you can think of? Look at all the questions you have written down so far. Choose any five for class next week, and I’ll tell you what five I found.
Day 4 – Write down what you think the main point of Philippians 1:12-26 is, and we’ll go over it this next week.
That’s it ladies!
Thank you for another week together. Thank you, Becky!
Let us live this coming week in light of what James tells us. “My dear brothers [sisters], take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (Jas. 1:19-21)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Your sister, Eileen
Related Posts:
 
Time to Study Philippians – Introduction-
Time to Study Philippians -Week One-
Time to Study Philippians – Week two-
 
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Time to Study Philippians -Week Two

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Dear Ladies of the Philippians study,
Greetings to Week Two of our study! (week one is found here)
This study and the following lessons, for the next seven weeks, will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
Please pray for our study habits, for God’s wisdom to be upon us, and that we would be known as women who love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
To begin our time today, we will start with going over our ‘homework’. I realize that some of you will have different answers from me and from each other. What I want you to notice, or to observe, are clearly in the text. At this point, record what has been written and use that. Don’t go too deep, and assume things that aren’t written.
Here are a few examples of mine taken from each chapter:

Observations of author 

Paul and Timothy are servants of Christ Jesus (1:1)
Paul thanks God for them (the Philippians) (1:3)
Remembers them in his prayers (1:4)
Paul holds the Philippians in his heart (1:7)
He is imprisoned for Christ (1:13)
He rejoices that Christ is proclaimed regardless of motive (1:18)
He has joy (2:2)
He hopes in the Lord (2:19,23)
He trusts in the Lord (2:24)
He thinks it is necessary to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians (2:25,28)
He has already written to them about similar things (3:1)
They (Paul and the Philippians) are of the real circumcision (3:3)
Paul says he of all people should have confidence in his Jewishness, if that is all that is needed to belong to God (3:4-6)
He considers his Jewish lineage “a loss” in light of who Christ is. (3:7-11)
He loves, and longs for the Philippians (4:1)
He entreats the women Euodia and Syntyche to stop arguing with each other (4:2)
He rejoices in the Lord greatly now that the Philippians are able to help him again (4:10)
Through the hardship and persecutions he has endured, he has learned to be content in all his circumstances (4:11-14)
He is well supplied from all of the things they sent to him with Epaphroditus (4:18)
He sends greetings from the other saints to the Philippians (4:22)

Observations of those receiving the letter

 

They are considered saints (believers in Christ Jesus) (1:1)
They are partners with Paul in the gospel from the first day they were converted (1:5)
They are partakers with Paul of grace, whether or not he is in prison (1:7)
They pray for Paul (1:19)
They have always obeyed Paul whether he is with them or away from them (2:12)
They know of Timothy’s devotion to Paul and the gospel (2:22)
They are part of the real circumcision with Paul and put no confidence in the flesh (3:3)
They, like Paul have a citizenship in heaven (3:20)
Euodia and Syntyche, women who previously had worked with Paul, now bicker and quarrel (4:2)
They have observed/witnessed first hand the life of Paul (4:9)
They share in Paul’s troubles (4:14)
The Philippians were the only ones who sent supplies/aid to Paul (4:15)
They repeated sent help to Paul when he was in Thessalonica (4:16)

Relationship between Paul and the Philippians

This letter sounds like the saints in Philippi are very dear to Paul’s heart (1:7,8), and uses terms of endearment often: brothers (1:12, 3:10, 4:1), beloved (2:12), whom Paul loves and longs for (4:1), his joy and crown (4:1).
Paul is torn between wanting to die and be with Christ and wanting to live so that he may continue to encourage, teach and pray for them (1:21 – 25).
They both encourage one another by sending news through the saints to reach Paul. (Timothy and Epaphroditus)

What is the Occasion(s) for writing this letter to the Philippians?

He is in prison which they have heard of; they sent Epaproditus to Paul and then heard Epaphroditus was very sick, they sent gifts to help supply Paul’s needs.

Summary of the Purpose of Paul’s letter

 

One of the first issues Paul discusses is their concern for him since he is in prison. He tells them that being in prison is a good thing because it has further enhanced the gospel (1:12, 1:18), and that his imprisonment has made the other saints more bold (1:15). There are even believers within Caesar’s household! (4:22)     (Emphasis is mine J)
He exhorts them that their manner of life should be worthy of the gospel, standing firm in one spirit, and to not be frightened by those who oppose them. They should expect to suffer since Christ suffered (1:27-30).
He also conveys the idea of joy because of Christ, to be humble, to have unity with one another, to model their lives after his, to care for one another.
He does warn them about ‘those dogs, the evildoers, the mutilators of the flesh’ who want to lead the saints at Philippi back into the works of circumcision. He reminds them that the Sprit has circumcised their hearts, and that they worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.
He also warns them against false teachers who ‘walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ’ and then exhorts them to stand firm in the Lord.
He asks his ‘true companion’ to work with Euodia and Syntyche and restore their fellowship.
He does let them know that he is hoping to send Timothy to them, so Timothy can return to Paul with the news of the Philippians (2:19-24). Paul does want to thank the Philippians for the gifts they sent along with Epaphroditus (4:17-18) and let them know how much their partnership with him is a joy (1:3-9).
It is a letter filled with hope, love, the joy of Christ, and encouragement.
Again, you may have some, or parts of all of these. These are just to guide your answers.

This Week’s Lesson:

When we study any book within our Bibles, we must always remember that the author was writing in a certain period of time in history, and that that history flavors their words and actions. Just as you would write a letter now, what is happening in your town, your city, your nation would influence what you wrote about. Therefore, it is always helpful to remember the historical context while we read our Bibles.
To help us with this, here is a quick historical timeline to think about the world in which Paul was living, and to remember what had happened in the recent past, and what would occur in the near future of this letter to the Philippians.
63 BC – Roman general Pompey invades Jerusalem
44 BC – Julius Caesar is assassinated
40 BC – Herod is crowned King of the Jews
27 BC – Augustus becomes Emperor of Rome
20 BC – Herod begins to rebuild the Temple
6-4 BC – the Birth of Jesus
4 BC – King Herod dies
14 AD – Emperor Augustus dies and Tiberius assumes power
26 AD – Pontius Pilate is appointed procurator of Judea
30/33 AD – Jesus dies and is resurrected (Amen!)
37 AD – Emperor Tiberius dies
47 AD – the start of Paul’s first missionary journey
50 AD – approximate time the New Testament books are written
64 AD – approximate time of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul
70 AD – the destruction of the Temple and the Fall of Jerusalem
Some of these dates may not agree with all historians – see H. Wayne House, Chronological and Background Charts of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981)
To give us an idea of what I would like you to do this week in Philippians, let us go back to our copy of Philemon. As you read through Philemon, I want you to notice areas within the letter that Paul switches  from one subject to another. The easiest way to find these divisions is to repeatedly ask your self, “What is Paul saying now?” If he has changed course or changed the direction of what he is speaking about, then mark that area of division with a diagonal line (/).  I’ll help you with one of them.
The first three verses in Philemon are one division. When you arrive at the 4th verse, Paul changes what he was previously saying and now begins with, “I thank my God….”
So put a forward slash between the end of verse 3 and the beginning of verse 4. Out in the left-hand margin of verses 1-3, write down a brief summary of those verses.  We call that part of his letter The Greeting, so in my margin I would make a note that says ‘Greeting’. You should be able to find 3-5 divisions within Philemon depending on where you think Paul has changed what he is saying. Do that now, and include your notes in the margin and then come back to class.
Great! I’ll tell you what I have, and you tell me what you have (just kidding J).
I found a division between vs. 7/8, a division between vs. 17/18 and a division between vs. 22/23. My margins say ‘Greeting’, the next one indicates ‘Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving’, the next says ‘appealing to Philemon to receive Onesimus as a brother’. The following margin note says ‘further instructions’ and lastly ‘closing’. This is a quick summary of the parts of the letter.

Homework:

Day 1 – To gain an historical perspective on Paul’s letter to the Philippians please read Acts 16:6- 17:1 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2. Keep Philippi in mind while you read. Next read Acts 28:16-31. What is this describing? Also, it might be interesting to you to find these geographic regions/cities on your maps in the back of your Bibles.
Day 2 – Use the “What is the author saying now?” as you read through the book of Philippians and find the divisions within this book. Put your forward slash where you think a division ends and begins.
Day 3 – Review your divisions and see if you still agree with what you first thought. Change them if you need to. Then make your notes in the margins for each division.
Day 4 – Write on a separate piece of paper each division by labeling them with your margin notes. Under each division, write a few items addressed within that division.
ie: Phil.1:1-11 is The Opening
1)    Senders, blessing, encouragement
2)    Paul speaks of his affections
3)    Prays that their love would abound.
That is all for your homework.
This was a bit of a long post, but I thank you, ladies, for keeping up and working through it! May your hearts be encouraged as you continually read of Paul’s love of the brethren, and remember that you will get to meet these people when you see Jesus face to face!
Becky, my dear sister, as always THANK YOU!
Blessings upon your homes,
Eileen
Becky’s note: I found this website with neat on line maps, in case you would like to study more about the geography  on Day 1

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Time to Study Philippians -Week One-

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Greetings Ladies,

This study and the following lessons, for the next eight weeks, will be a condensed version of Mining God’s Word – How To Study the Bible; Foundation Series by Bethlehem College and Seminary Press. I highly recommend that you purchase your own workbook at www(dot)bethlehemcollegeandseminary(dot)org – it would be a great tool for you to have!
I taught this lesson this past Wednesday evening and it was a delightful time. May God bless all of you with the same joy that the Wednesday Women experienced.
During this time together we will use the book of Philippians to teach us how to study our Bibles in such a manner that we can apply the methods learned here to all other books in the Bible. Of course, the longer the book, the more time required. Philippians won’t take us the same amount of time, as say, Matthew or 1 Corinthians. But the methods you learn here, will enable you to study there.
I would also like to point out that reading our Bibles and studying our Bibles are not the same thing. Reading is a more casual a pick-it-up, put-it-down kind of a thing. Studying asks us to pray, to labor, to be diligent, to be serious. And so, let us study God’s Word together. Amen!
Week one: Who is Writing to Whom?
A good practice for any inductive Bible study is to read through the book in one sitting, (if possible). Notice what you can about the author, and those he is writing to. Some books might contain more information about the author than others do, but that is OK. To help us understand what to look for in Philippians, we are going to look at Philemon first. It is short, clear and concise. So, please turn to Philemon in your Bibles and read it through. Once you have finished reading Philemon, continue with our study.
Now that you have read through Philemon, take a piece of paper, fold it in half length-wise, and then open it back up. You should have two columns lengthwise. At the head of column one, label it Observations on Author. At the head of column two, label it Observations on Recipient. Go back through Philemon, and underline all the things that talk about the author, Paul, and then write those same things you just underlined in your column Observations on Author, including the verse where you found it. (It will help you keep track of what you’re underlining if you use one colored pencil to underline for Author and a different colored pencil to underline Recipients.) When you have completed that, do the same thing for what  you observe about those he is writing to, the Recipients. Then come back to the study and we’ll give some examples of each.
Now that you have written your observations down, I will give some examples of my observations.

Observations on Author

His name is Paul (vs.1)
Prisoner for Christ Jesus (vs.1)
He has the authority to command (vs.8)
He is an old man (vs.9)
He has recently become a “father” to Onesimus (vs.10)
Paul loves Onesimus – refers to him as his ‘very heart’ (vs. 12)
He is not alone in prison (vs.23)

Observations on Recipient

Addressed to Philemon, others and the house church (vs.1, 2)
Philemon’s house is large enough for the saints to meet for church (vs.2)
Philemon used to own a useless slave named Onesimus (vs.11, 15)
Philemon was a former convert of Paul (vs.19)
Philemon might be wealthy because he has a guest room (vs.22)
Ladies,
You might have more or less than the ones I have listed and that’s OK. This is to help train you what to look for.
Next, we should notice the relationship between the author and the recipients. Are they friends? Are they in disagreement over something? Is their relationship strained or taxed due to sin? What is the occasion of the book? In other words, what has happened to make Paul feel he should write to Philemon? What is the purpose of the letter?
We should note that there is a distinction between occasion and purpose. This letter is like listening to one side of a phone conversation. You cannot hear what the other person is saying, but you can make a guess as to what they are saying by how the person on your end is responding. We can deduce from the statement, “Yes, my mother is fine, thank you.” that the person on the other end of the phone had asked “How is your mother?”. So, the occasion is what happened previously, that Paul alludes to in his letter. The purpose is what does he want to accomplish with his letter?
Now, flip your paper over to the back and make two new headings for these back columns. Label column one Observations on Relationships and label the second column Observations on Occasion. Again, go back through Philemon, and using different colored pencils, underline words or ideas that talk to you about their relationship. Look for words like, ‘beloved fellow worker’. When you have finished that, move to the next column and underline your text words that show what might have happened in the past. Record your findings.
At the bottom of your paper write Interpretation of Purpose. After you have written your observations on relationships and occasion, now you can write down what you think the purpose of this letter is. Just a few sentences will suffice. (Sometimes purpose and occasion will sometimes overlap so don’t be concerned if something fits into both categories.) Then, come back to the study and we’ll go over this last part together.
Observations on Relationships
Paul and Philemon have a very close relationship “beloved fellow worker’ (vs.1)
Paul derives joy and comfort from the love of Philemon, ‘his brother’ (vs.7)
Makes his appeal based on their partnership (vs.17)
Paul is confident in how Philemon will respond to his letter (vs.21)

Observations on Occasion

Paul is writing this letter on behalf of Onesimus who was recently converted by Paul (vs.10, 16)
Onesimus appeared to have been a slave (vs. 16) who ran away from Philemon (vs.15)
Did Onesimus steel something from Philemon? (vs.18)

Interpretation of Purpose

Paul is writing this letter on behalf of Onesimus his ‘true heart’, urging Philemon to treat him as a brother, just as he would Paul, now that Onesimus has been converted, which Paul can attest to. Paul is sending Onesimus back because he is still the rightful slave of Philemon, and Paul wants Philemon to respond with love. Also, to let Philemon know that Paul is hoping to come to his house, and therefore, prepare a room for him.
Again, you might have more or less than what I have written here. But the point is the training of what you’re looking for.

For this coming week, at your homes, I would like you to do this same thing with the book of Philippians. (I would recommend that you make a copy of the Philippians text for this study. Your thin Bible pages might not stand up to the next eight weeks of study.)

Homework
Day 1) Read Philippians, underlining, and then recording, your observations on the author and the recipients, in your new Philippians columns.
Day 2) Re-read what you wrote on Day 1, and write a brief summary of what you notice.
Day 3) Read Philippians observing the details about the relationships between the author and the recipients, and the occasion, underlining as you go. Then write in your Relationships column and your Occasion column what you have observed.
Day 4) Re-read what you wrote on Day 3, and write a brief summary of what you notice.
Day 5) Read the complete book of Philippians for a third time, playing close attention to the purpose of the book. What was the author attempting to accomplish? Is there more than one purpose? Write a summary of your view on the purpose of the book.
And that is the end of our first lesson!
We will go over all these homework answers briefly next week when we meet. 
Thank you, Becky, for allowing me the space on your blog. You are a sweet sister!
Thank you, ladies, for coming to ‘class’ and for working through your Bible with me.
May our Lord grant us wisdom as we read and study. May we bring honor to our God and to our husbands through our actions. May our words be filled with sweetness and grace as we raise up our children.

Blessings to you all, Eileen

 

 

More On Our Philippians Study -Introduction by Eileen-

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My name is Eileen Lawyer – I am a wife to Mike (pastor) and mother to Rachel (junior in high school). We live in a small town in northern Idaho, USA. I will be teaching a Bible study on Philippians to some ladies in our town, and thought that perhaps I could teach the same study online. I want to reach women who love our God as I do, and yet may not have the opportunity to attend Bible studies. The purpose of this study will be to encourage all of us to be women who know our Bibles and, therefore, know and love our Savior. This study will, with the Lord’s blessing, equip us to study other books in the Bible using the same method we apply to Philippians. God has the power to change our lives as we grow in knowledge and grace of Him.

I plan on teaching this as an eight-week course. If you are interested in joining this study, please come to “class” (Becky’s blog) with your Bible, colored pencils (or highlighters) if you have any. If you do not have any available to use, that’s OK. Just have your Bible, some paper to write on and a pencil. I will ask you to do a little ‘homework’ throughout the week before the next class. It is up to you if you want to do it. However, remember that the more you put into the study, the more you will get out of it.

Since I am writing the ‘class’, I will also be shortening the study from its original workbook (Mining God’s Word – How to study the Bible; Foundation Series, Bethlehem College and Seminary Press) I will, however, attempt to reach and discuss what I feel are the highlights. If you would like to purchase the workbook, please feel free to use it during class. I will have mine with me. It is a wonderful tool – not to replace our Bibles, but to enhance our understanding of our Bibles.

With all of that said, I look forward to trying this new avenue of teaching a Bible study online. I welcome your comments, questions and even suggestions. Becky’s blog usually has a place where comments can be made. If you need to reach me about a question that you would feel uncomfortable asking online, you may reach me: eileenlawyer(at)gmail(dot)com

To God be the Glory!
your sister in Christ,
Eileen~

 

 

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Time to Study Philippians (in Eight Weeks)

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Do you remember my friend Eileen? She wrote a series of posts on Homeschooling One Child earlier this year. It was a blessing to learn from her and now I am grateful to have her back again.

Eileen will be guiding us through an in-depth inductive study of  The Epistle to the Philippians. She will be here every Saturday (for 8 weeks), so I encourage you to come and join us. Bring your markers, your notebook and a copy of the book of Philippians, she says it will be helpful to have it handy because we will be highlighting and marking the text.

This Saturday, October 9, will be our first study session, please pass the voice and invite your friends to join us.

Isn’t this a great opportunity to go through a Bible study with your teenage daughter besides you? I am planning on doing this. Mom and daughter studying the Bible together is a gift from above.

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

 

















You may also like (from the archives):

Daniel’s Prayer
Desires and Prosperity
The Secret of the Believer’s Boldness

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