Here are some questions that often occur to people as they study Philippians and Colossians. We hope the answers are helpful to you.

What is the special bond that Christians share with each other?

As a “citizen of heaven,” does a Christian owe any duty to the government?

What was the problem with the Pharisees?

Who were the Gnostics, and what did they believe?

What were Paul’s credentials to write about Christianity?

What is the Special Bond that Christians Share with Each Other?

Being a part of a Christian church means a lot more than membership in a social club.  There is a spiritual connectedness among believers. Philippians 1:1-11 emphasizes the “partnership” that Paul sensed with this friends in Philippi.  Bible scholar William Hendriksen, in his New Testament Commentary, identifies the following aspects of “fellowship” that are shared by Christians:

• A Fellowship of Grace. Christianity is not man-made.  It is not even deserved by humans.  It is a sovereign gift from God; without Christ, it would be entirely impossible.
• A Fellowship of Faith. Our faith is a participatory experience. It is how we, individually and collectively, approach and embrace Christ.
• A Fellowship of Prayer and Thanksgiving. Believers pray individually and together.  Our prayers give expression to our faith.
• A Fellowship of Believers with One Another.  Christianity is a fellowship in love for one another. As we are drawn into a close relationship with Christ, we should be drawn into a close relationship with each other.
• A Fellowship of Helping Each Other.  Christianity is a partnership of contributing to each other’s needs.  Whether assisting the poor among us, or supporting the missionaries, our time, energy and resources are to be used for each other.
• A Fellowship of Promoting the Spread of the Gospel.  Christianity is an active cooperation of Christians for the dissemination of the message of Jesus Christ.
• A Fellowship of Separation.  This sounds paradoxical, but it is true.  Christians have a fellowship with each other – all around the world.  Yet, our attachment to Christ means a detachment from the world, particularly worldly thoughts, purposes and methods. 
• A Fellowship in Warfare. Believers struggle side by side against the forces of Satan.

Do these points give you greater insight into Paul’s appreciation for the fellowship and partnership that he shares with the Philippians?

As a “Citizen of Heaven,”
Does a Christian Owe Any Duty to the Government?

In Philippians 1:12-13, Paul says that many members of the palace guard (officially known as the Praetorian Guard) were becoming Christians. The Praetorian Guard were the elite soldiers of the Roman army.  There may have been as many as ten thousand or more stationed in Rome. After serving for twelve or more years, they were given Roman citizenship and a hefty pension. They enforced the rule of the Emperor, and their power was so great (because they could impose their will be force), that they often influence who would be the next Emperor. Were it not for his imprisonment, Paul would have never been able to reach this group with the Gospel message.

In Philippians 1:27, Paul tells the Philippians that they should conduct themselves as citizens of heaven. Citizenship was an appropriate analogy for the people of Philippi. Here is how Bible commentator William Barclay explains this verse:

• Paul was writing from the very center of the Roman Empire, from Rome itself; it was the fact that he was a Roman citizen that had brought him there at all. Philippi was a roman colony; and Roman colonies were little bits of Rome planted throughout the world.  In Roman colonies the Roman citizens never forgot that they were Romans.  They spoke the Latin language, wore the Latin dress, called their magistrates by the Latin names, insisted on being stubbornly roman, however far they might be from Rome. So what Paul is saying is this, “You and I know full well the privileges and the responsibilities of being a Roman citizen.  You know full well how even in Philippi, so many miles from Rome, you must still live and act as a Roman does.  Well then, remember that you have an even higher duty than that.  Wherever you are you must live as befits a citizen of the Kingdom of God; you must never forget the privileges and the responsibilities of citizenship, not this time or Rome, but of the Kingdom of God.” So, then, a Christian must ever remember the Kingdom of which his is a citizen, and his conduct must befit his citizenship.

What was the Problem with the Pharisees?

The Pharisees were a Jewish group who strictly followed all of the Old Testament laws (plus a whole bunch that they added to the list).  The Jews were impressed by the Pharisees (and the Pharisees were really impressed with themselves). As an outsider, you might think that the Pharisees were well intentioned in their attempts to follow the laws of Moses.  But when you learn a little bit more about them, it is easy to see why God wasn’t impressed by their efforts at all. Here is what Bible scholar D. A. Hagner writes about the Pharisees:

Even more pernicious than the teaching of the Pharisees, however, was the gap between their profession and their practice.  Their over-concern with externals led almost naturally to a neglect not only of the weightier parts of the law, but also of the inner man and matters of the heart.  The resultant hypocrisy Jesus described in the words of Isaiah (29:13 in mark 7:6 and following), about a people who honor the Lord with their lips while their hearts are far from him.  In fact, the Pharisees were intent upon cleansing the outside of the cup and plate whereas the inside remained dirty (Matthew 23:25-26); they were like whitewashed tombs, disguising an inner corruption (23:27-28). Some of this may well have been the inevitable product of the Pharisaic legalism.  What was not inevitable, however, was the pride of which the Pharisees were simultaneously guilty. Their motive in holding to their observances was a wrong one.  “They do al their deeds to be seen by men,” said Jesus (23:5).  They loved the special honor that was paid to them as men who were reputedly serious about their godliness (23:6-36), but their pride was totally without foundation. The truth was, as Jesus summarized it, “they preach, but do not practice” (23:3).

Pharisaic opposition to Jesus is a persistent theme in the Gospels.  They opposed Jesus because he refused to accept the teaching of the oral traditions. Not only were they ardent opponents of Jesus, but of the early Jewish Christians.  Yet, all Pharisees are not condemned in the Scriptures. Nicodemus was genuinely a seeker of truth (John 3:1-21), spoke out for justice on behalf of Jesus (7:50), and remained a follower of Jesus even after the disciples had fallen away (19:39).  Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:43) was probably a Pharisee who did not agree with the decision to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:51).  Fearing the Jews, he became a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38) and took care of Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. Many other Pharisees may well have believed in Jesus secretly.

Who Were the Gnostics, and What Did They Believe?

Who was Paul talking about in 3:17-21 when he referred to the “enemies of Christ” in verse 18? Nobody knows for sure. But he might have been identifying the Gnostics. They advocated the position (Gnosticism) that Christianity was merely a personal philosophy. In other words, they tried to intellectualize Christianity and remove it from the reality of everyday life.  Here is how William Barclay explains their beliefs:

• They began with the principle that from the beginning of time there have always been two realities – sprit and matter.
• Spirit, they said, is altogether good; and matter is altogether evil.
• It is because the world was created out of this essential evil and flawed matter that sin and devil are in it.
• If matter is essentially evil, then the body is essentially evil; and because it is matter, it will remain evil whatever you do with it.
• Therefore, do what you like with it. Overindulge its carnal and sensual desires.
• Since the body is evil anyhow, it makes no difference what you do with it.

So these Gnostics taught that gluttony and adultery and homosexuality and drunkenness are of no importance, because they only affect the body, and the body does not matter.

NOTE:  This strain of Gnosticism is slightly different than the one Paul dealt with when he was writing to the Colossians. The “Colossian Heresy” included other elements of asceticism that promoted an austere lifestyle and rejected all forms of immorality.

What Were Paul’s Credentials to Write About Christianity?

Except for Jesus Himself, Paul probably impacted those fledgling Christians of the 1st century more than any other individual.  It is easy to see why he was the person best suited to do so. In his B.C. (before Christianity) days, he was a devote Pharisee. He had been very religious his entire life, so he knew and understood the Jewish faith, and was knowledgeable in the Old Testament scriptures. You can read about Paul’s dramatic, personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and his conversion experience in Acts 9. A much fuller description of his life and journeys is found in Acts 7:58 – 28:31.

But don’t think that Paul only brought a Jewish background to Christianity.  He had a tremendous understanding about God’s grace being available to the Gentiles. While much of his ministry was spent trying to convince the Jews that Christianity was available to the Gentiles, he probably spent even more time preaching to the Gentiles that God wanted a relationship with them.  Paul’s second letter the Corinthians set forth many of his credentials for being an ambassador of Christianity.  For example:

• He as commissioned by God to be an apostle (2 Corinthians 1:1-2; 4:1)
• His life was an example to other believers (2 Corinthians 3:4; 12:6)
• He was filled with God’s power (2 Corinthians 6:7; 13:4)
• He received a special vision from God (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)