Book in 5: Philippians | Joy From a Prison Cell

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter. Traditionally, he wrote it from prison in Rome around the early 60s AD. Some scholars think it came from another imprisonment, in Ephesus or Caesarea. Either way, he was in chains. He wrote to the church in Philippi, a Roman city in what's now Northern Greece. It was the first church Paul planted in Europe, and the story is in Acts 16. It began with a businesswoman named Lydia, and it grew after Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed there, and an earthquake shook the prison doors open. The big idea. Joy, humility, and unity in Christ, no matter what your circumstances are. Paul uses the word joy, or rejoice, more than a dozen times in four short chapters, and he's in prison. Five key moments. One, chapter one. Paul tells them his chains have actually helped spread the good news. The guards heard about Jesus. Other believers grew bolder because of what happened to him. He doesn't pretend it's easy, but he can see God at work even here. 2. A call to humility, and one of the most famous passages in the New Testament. Jesus, though he was God, didn't hold on to his status. He became a servant and humbled himself all the way to death on a cross. And because of that, God lifted him up, and one day every knee will bow. 3. Chapter 3. Paul lists his old credentials, his family, his education, his record. And then he says he counts all of it as loss, compared with knowing Christ. He's not stuck on his past or his achievements. He says he's forgetting what's behind and pressing on toward what's ahead. 4. Chapter 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Don't be anxious about anything. Instead, pray about everything with thanks. And the peace of God, which is beyond understanding, will guard your heart and mind. 5. Also chapter 4. Paul says he has learned to be content, whether he has plenty or very little. He's been hungry and well-fed. He's been in need and in comfort. And his secret is that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength, where Jesus shows up. Everywhere, but especially in chapter 2, where Paul describes Jesus' humility, his death, and his exaltation. For Paul, Jesus is both the example of how to live, and the source of the strength to

live it. One verse to carry, Philippians 4-6. Do not be anxious about anything. Not because nothing's wrong, but because God is near, and you can bring everything to him. Joy doesn't depend on where you are. It depends on who you're with. (gentle music) (gentle music)