Category Archives: Spiritual Disciplines

>Time to Study Philippians -Week Seven-

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Greetings to the ladies of our Philippians study!
Welcome to Week Seven~
This study and the following two 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!
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”                                 Luke 2:52
Let us review our homework first:
Did you manage to find references to “fellow worker(s)”? I will list a few of mine below for you. Most likely you will have come across some of these also. Please read the verses around these texts to know the context.
Romans 16:3 – “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus…”
            The fellow workers listed here are a man and a woman. A church met in their home (16:5).
Phil. 4:2-3 – “Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women [Euodia and Syntyche], who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the books of life.”
            Referring to men and women as fellow workers.
1 Cor. 3:9 – (beginning in verse 8) “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.”
            This text is talking about what Paul and Apollos have individually done for the church body. Do not think one is better than the other.
Col. 4:11 – “ …These are the only men [vs.10] of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.”
            These men are Paul’s comfort and support during this time.
Philemon – 1:1 “To Philemon our beloved fellow worker…”
            We know that Philemon had a house church where the saints gathered together.
Phm. 1:24 – “…and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”
            Paul is sending greetings from these men back to Philemon along with others mentioned in the verses before this one.
2 Cor. 8:23 “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit.”
            Titus was a leader and a teacher.
There are more than this listing, but these will give us a good foundation. What were you able to learn about “fellow workers”? They could be both men and women; they were more than just Christians in the first century, they were ones who labored close to Paul, striving for the kingdom of God. Many were church leaders, or had churches meeting in their homes. (However, it was not a church office.) They were held up as examples, and Paul often requested on their behalf, for the saints to comfort and refresh them, since many of them also traveled to comfort and encourage Paul.

Main point of Philippians 2:19-30

Paul is sending Timothy and Epaphroditus and back to the Philippians. Timothy is known for his love and service to Paul and his love for the Philippians. Epaphroditus, being the Philippians’ minister and messenger, is returning so they no longer have concern for his safety or his health. He went through many trials to be with Paul and he deserves their honor also.
For Today: 
Since this eight-week study is a condensed version of a twelve-week study, I will need to blend some chapters and homework together, so that we may finish the first week of December. Therefore, I am going to assign homework for you now, and then give you a bit more after I finish today’s lesson.  
Homework part 1 – Read all of Philippians and then re-read Phil 3:1-16. Write down your observations (remember “pointer” words), and then give me a short summary of Phil. 3: 1-16.
Today’s lesson:
Bible Genres – By definition, a genre can be a literary work characterized by its form, content, or style. The Bible contains eight main genres:
1)    Historical Narratives – these contain stories with specific time/place and events mentioned, and usually have a beginning, middle and an end. 
2)    Law – writings that have the commands of God and tell the people how to act according to His decree.
3)    Prophecy – God’s messengers calling the people/nation to obedience of His word. Can contain future judgments. 
4)    Poetry – a writing style that is figurative, has parallelism and uses language with vivid imagery.
5)    Proverbs – short, memorable sayings that portray truth and yet also have a bit of a sting or bite to them. Contain great wisdom.
6)    Gospels –writings that join together biography (of Jesus) and theological teachings.
7)    Parables – stories or statements that portray life; those listening recognize they are to do something with the information of the story.
8)    Epistles –written with a specific audience in mind (like the letters to the Philippians) but can be used today to glean wisdom and knowledge of Godly living. The epistles are generally a one-sided conversation, since they were written in response to an event.
With these eight genres in mind, I am going to write a few verses, but not tell you where they are located. Are you able to recognize which Book I’m quoting out of? Can you figure out the genre? I will write the correct answers at the end of all these verses. Try not to peek at the answers first. J
1)“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, OLORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.”
2) “So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, ‘It is enough, now stay your hand.’ And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and my father’s house.’”
3) “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both. Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. ‘Bad, Bad,’ says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts. There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.”
4) “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us dill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
5) “And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, therefore says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again.”
Answers:
1)    Ps. 69:13-15. Poetry. Vivid imagery. Parallel theme of deliverance in the plea.
2)    2 Sam. 24:15-17. Historical Narrative. There are names/places mentioned and a story line.
3)    Pr. 20:11-15. Proverb. Short sentences. Many with contrasts between folly and wisdom.
4)    Luke 20:9-16. Parable. Introduction is the beginning of a story. No one specifically is named. The hearers are to respond.
5)    Ezek. 5:6-9. Prophecy. Judgment from the Lord because of lack of obedience.
I did not cover all the genres, but the rest are easy to recognize. How did you do? Did you recognize any of the books these verses came from?
Once we understand the genre of a book, it will be easier for you to interpret the writing of a book. (Many books do contain more than one genre. Luke is a gospel, but the part I quoted was a parable within the gospel.) Again, ask God for wisdom.
Which category does Philippians belong to? It would be an epistle because it is a letter to specific people, and it is only one side of the conversation between Paul and the Philippians. We can, therefore, make certain estimations or educated guesses about what may have happened in the past by what Paul is addressing in his letter.

Homework part 2 –

Read Philippians 3:16-4:9. Re-read it slowly, watching for ‘pointers’ and making notes on what you observe. Then write down your summary of the main point.
Read the entire book of Philippians looking for themes of JOY. It can be joy, or rejoice, or rejoicing…anything along those lines. Make a list of all the references for JOY.
Using the first half of your list, write down the reasons for the joy and who’s joy it is.
Now, do the same for the second half of your list, again writing down the reasons for the joy.
Write a summary of what you think about JOY in the book of Philippians. Do you understand joy better for your life?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving week! We do have so much to be Thankful for! (How does the old hymn go? “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done…”)
We’ll meet back here the first week in December.
Again, Thank You Becky, you are a beloved sister!

Eileen

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Are you just coming in?

Welcome!

You can start this series today. Read the introduction here and the first week’s study here.

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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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Desires and Prosperity

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You have read your Bible over and over again, day after day and suddenly one verse pops out as if it had never been there, have you experienced this? Well, this I read in Proverbs for the “first time” yesterday…

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied”.
Proverbs 13: 4 (ESV)

We know how Proverbs teaches us to be diligent in all work, but here it is talking about the matters of our soul.

I read biographies of godly women, I see the life of many others in our day, and they inspire me to grow in my sanctification, but there is ONE thing all these women have in common, they desired, they longed to grow in the Lord and were not sluggards regarding their spiritual state, they were diligent in pursuing their sanctification.

I have forgotten to work on a new Bible verse to memorize, I have not always been diligent in guarding the words of my mouth. I must again go to my Master’s feet and find his forgiveness and strength to walk diligently in the matters of my soul.

I found this at Grace Gems this morning and the author says what I have been meditating, but his words are better than mine:

“The points of contrast are many and striking. The “sluggard” has his religious “desires,” and nothing more. He would sincerely be saved, but makes no effort to get salvation. He would be religious, without real religion; pious, without true piety; claiming the fruit of godliness apart from the root of godliness; looking for the reward of labor, without the labor that secures the reward; expecting the conquest of sinful habits without the battle that ensures the victory: in a word, looking for heaven without taking one real step heavenward!”

 And please, do not misunderstand me, I am not thinking that one must do something in order to achieve salvation. God forbid. I believe salvation is only by grace through the faith, which is a gift from God. I am saying that many Christians, long and desire to be more holy, more like Jesus, many desire to swim in the ocean of His grace yet are sluggards. It is easier to sit and contemplate others in their journey,  longing to have their soul richly supplied and yet, they just sit back. No diligence, no gain, no victories, no satisfaction. No crown.

Regarding the soul of the diligent man, the author says,

“It is, too, the lesson of daily life and of our whole life. Each day should find us growing in an acquaintance with Christ; augmenting our stock of grace; strengthening the graces of our Christian character; and “increasing in the knowledge of God.” Nor is this diligence to terminate but with the termination of our Christian course. “We desire,” says the Apostle, “that every one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.” The necessity of watchfulness, earnestness, and perseverance in the things relating to our eternal future will exist until that future is reached.

The race we run, admits of no pause; the pilgrimage we travel, of no halting; the battle we fight, of no truce; the prize for which we compete, of no compromise. There is an end before us, and that end we must keep full in view. The Savior has said, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.” “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life that fades not away.”

This is what is in my heart today, what I am meditating upon, and so I start today a new day on my journey.

Please, if you have time, read the whole article on Spiritual Diligence here, and be encouraged.