30. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 2:3 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure.” (KJV)Today, we will begin with our introduction to the book of Philippians and Paul’s feelings concerning this church.

This letter finds itself among a body of literature called the prison epistles.  Paul was in Rome imprisoned at the time of this writing facing a verdict that could possibly end his life yet he had had hope that he would be freed from his situation, Some scholars argue that Paul was not in a physical prison but yet under house arrest when he wrote this because he was able to entertain visitors.   Whatever the situation, what is clear is that he was on lockdown whether he could have guests or not, he is under arrest.   What we know from reading this book is that Paul loved this church; the text seems to suggest that it was his favorite.   They constantly sought occasion to provide for Paul financially yet sometimes they found it difficult to get to Paul.  As a matter of fact, once they found out that Paul was imprisoned they sent a man by the name of Epaphroditus to check on Paul and to make sure his needs were met but while he was there ministering to Paul, he fell sick almost to death and so Paul sends him back to the church at Philippi along with this letter to let the church of his own condition in prison, to thank the Philippians for the gift that they sent him (Philippians 4:14-18).  To let them know that though Epaphroditus fell sick unto death, he did not regard his life but he was successful in bringing the gift that they had sent, he wanted to warn them against false teachers that had risen up and he wanted to commend Timothy as a future leader to whom the church could look up.  Paul did not solicit the gifts from the Philippian church as a matter of fact, look what he writes in the 4^th chapter:  “10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again ; wherein ye were also careful , but ye lacked opportunity . 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned , in whatsoever state I am , therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased , and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry , both to abound and to suffer need . 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 14 Notwithstanding ye have well done , that ye did communicate with my affliction. 15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18 But I have all, and abound : I am full , having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”That word account comes from a Greek work called logos… it means  “word”, “something said”, “a conversation”, “discussion,” “speech”….    So Paul is saying though I didn’t initiate you giving to me, I take it because I know that’s it increases the conversations that take place in heaven on your behalf….    It means a decree, a mandate… some things are decreed on your behalf when you give to the “servants of God.”   Some things just happen for you when you have a heart to make their load easier…   

I am well aware that this scripture has been used to manipulate people to give, but these people had a heart for the man of God.  When God gives you a vision, He will always send you people whose heart has been prepared to love you.   It’s no pressure, it’s just love.   In 1^st Samuel 10^th chapter, when God chose Saul from among his family to be king, the bible says in verse #26 “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.  These men would be faithful to Saul throughout his kingship no matter what he would go through. So this church would be the only one that would constantly keep up with Paul’s schedule to make sure that his financial needs were met.   And churches had problems with Paul receiving money….   The attack was so strong that Paul had to address it in a letter to the Corinthians.  People in the biblical world also complained about the preachers getting money.   Look at this example in 1^st Corinthians 9^th chapter where Paul addresses his accusers concerning his right to receive monetary gifts.  Paul writes  3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink ? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working ? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn . Doth God take care for oxen? 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written : that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Paul used this Old Testament scripture to show that God intended for those who labored in the work of the Lord should expect compensation from those who they imparted spiritual work into.This Philippian church would constantly seek after Paul to make sure his physical needs were met and Paul had a special love for this church because of their unselfish kindness towards him.

Tomorrow, we will get into more of Paul’s mindset concerning this church.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

26. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Hello Everyone:   I am really excited about getting into Philippians on next week. 

Today, I just want to do a re-cap of what we have learned historically.   We know that the book of Philippians was written by Paul and he founded it on his second missionary journey.  According to Luke’s account in Acts, Paul never intended to start this church.  He was currently teamed up with Barnabas and Paul wanted to revisit the churches they had already founded.  Barnabas was okay with the idea but he wanted to take John Mark with them.  Paul refused to take John Mark because he had abandoned them on their journey before and went back to Jerusalem because he could not take the pressure.   

Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance but Paul refused.  The bible says that the discussion was so sharp between them that they could not come to a compromise.  Paul ends up teaming up with Silas and Barnabas takes Mark and begins to go back and encourage the churches. 

Paul is now trying to get his schedule together and everywhere he decides to go, the Holy Ghost blocks it.  One night in a dream he hears a man calling him to come over to Macedonia and help him and when Paul awakens, he understands that God is leading him to go and begin a work in Macedonia which is located in Europe.

Paul goes to Macedonia and ends up in a city called Philipi.  Philipi was named after Alexander the Great once he conquered it and it was the historic place where Mark Anthony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius which were the assassins of Julius Caesar. 

It was Paul’s custom to find a synagogue on the Sabbath day whenever he traveled.   Evidently they did not have the quota of 10 men that was needed to start a synagogue here.     Paul goes by the river and finds some women praying and he gets his first Philippian member Lydia, the seller of purple to the faith.  His second would be the young slave girl who was possessed with a demon and his third member would be the Philippian jailer and his family.

Next week, we will start getting into the details of this book.

Have a great weekend.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

25. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Hello Everyone:  I realize that I gave out a lot of history on last week and some people are still reviewing it.   So today, I will just be answering the questions from yesterday and tomorrow, I will do a review on what we have learned so far before we dive into the actual book of Philippians on Monday.  My goal is to help you with your reading and knowledge of the scriptures so I don’t mind slowing down so you can catch up.   Please review the readings on last week and take notes from them.   I always find that writing things down always helps me to remember.

Here are the answers from yesterday.

1.    The city of Philippi is located where? Macedonia

2.   Who was this city named after when it was taken over?  Alexander the Great.

3.   What was the one particular event that Philippi was famous for?  In 42BCE Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, in a battle at Philippi.

4.   When was the church founded by Paul? On his second missionary journey.

5.   How does Paul initially get the idea to go to Philippi?  In a dream/vision.

6.   Give at least 3 conversions which were the beginning of the members of the church at Philippi.  Lydia the seller of purple and her family, the slave girl with a demonic spirit and the Philippian jailer and his family.

7.   Who is credited as the author of this Philippian letter?  Paul.

8.   What is the major consensus of scholars as to the most probable place that this letter was written from? Rome.

9.   What was Paul doing at the time of this letter? Imprisoned.

10.               Who was with Paul when he entered into Philippi? Silas.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

24. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Today, I will be doing review questions for our lesson on last week on history, origin and authorship.  Reference the lessons on last week for the answers.  I am still trying to adjust our format.   I don’t know if I will include review questions every day or a couple of times a week.  

1.    The city of Philippi is located where?

2.   Who was this city named after when it was taken over?

3.   What was the one particular event that Philippi was famous for?

4.   When was the church founded by Paul?

5.   How does Paul initially get the idea to go to Philippi?

6.   Give at least conversions which were the beginning of the members of the church at Philippi.

7.   Who is credited as the author of this Philippian letter?

8.   What is the major consensus of scholars as to the most probable place that this letter was written from?

9.   What was Paul doing at the time of this letter?

10.               Who was with Paul when he entered into Philippi?

Answers will be posted in tomorrow’s lesson. 

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

23. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

I can only apologize for not posting on Friday and Monday.  My schedule has once again become really, really busy and I am also in the process of writing a new book.  In honor of Dr. Zachary Tims, I thought I would post one of his daily devotionals that he did earlier in the year on Philippians. 

I did not know Pastor Tims but I saw him a few times hosting shows on TBN.  Many of my pastor friends did know him and were in close relationship with him.  I think I have learned more about him in his death than I ever knew when he was alive.   Many are battled by his death at such a young age and circumstances leading up to his death but what it has made me do is look at my own life and work on being better and to focus on all that God has called me to do. 

We really don’t know when our life will be over and we must live each day to the fullest.  Yes, we plan for our tomorrow, but we live today.  I would like to encourage you to get rid of all the foolishness that surrounds you and causes you to be depressed, frustrated, immobile whether its people or things.   Surround yourself with positive influences and people that will help you grow and pull you to higher heights.    Don’t stop growing.   Keep it Moving.  I am continuing to lift up his family, friends and church.   To God Be The Glory. 

Resurrection Power

By Dr. Zachery Tims, Jr.
This week’s topic: After the ResurrectionThe passages in Philippians 3: 7-14, are most meaningful for applying the principle of “resurrection power” in our lives as Christians. The significance of these verses pull into focus its relevance for understanding seasons of suffering that eventually culminate into victories.The subject is pertinent during this high holy season of celebrating the Passover Lamb of God, and the redemptive, substitutionary atonement through our Lord Jesus Christ.Paul’s profound theology states it perfectly, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ…”

Dr. Zachery Tims, Jr. is the Senior Pastor, CEO and founder of New Destiny Christian Center (NDCC). The focus of the ministry is to exemplify the love of Jesus Christ with a passion for helping people. For more information, visit http://www.ndcc.tv/.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

18. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Hello Everyone:  Our lesson for the day is following.

The City of Philippi and the Origin of the Church There

The city of Philippi, as one can see from the map, is located in north eastern Greece (Macedonia). The city was already ancient by the time Paul arrived there around 49 CE (Acts 16:11-40). In fact, its beginnings go back to the fourth century BCE when it was occupied by the Thracians. In 356 BCE, however, Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, took over the city and named it after himself. He eventually established it as a military stronghold in order to protect the lands he had already acquired and the nearby gold mines which yielded him yearly a thousand talents. It was also important as a land route across Asia.¹ In 168 BC Philippi became part of the Roman empire when the latter defeated the Persians at the battle of Pydna and Macedonia was divided into four districts, Philippi belonging to the first.

Philippi is famous for one particular event. In 42 BCE Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar, in a battle at Philippi. Later in 31 BCE when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, he assumed the named Augustus and rebuilt the city of Philippi. He placed retired soldiers there to ensure loyalty to Rome and established it as a military outpost. He also gave the new colony the highest privilege obtainable by a Roman provincial municipality—the ius italicum. Colonists could buy, own, or transfer property and maintained the right to civil lawsuits. They were also exempt form the poll and land tax.²

When Paul came to the city around 49 CE, Philippi was an urban center at the eastern end of the plain, a few miles northwest from Neapolis. The people there were both Romans and Greeks and spoke predominantly Greek even though Latin was the official language.³

The church in Philippi was founded by the apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:1-40. Paul originally went to Macedonia because of a night vision described for us in Acts 16:9. In it Paul saw a man of Macedonia standing and asking that he come over to help them. Paul responded and so the gospel went triumphantly westward beginning in Philippi as the first city to be evangelized in Europe.

When Paul arrived in the city of Philippi he stayed there several days (Acts 16:12). The religious life of those in Philippi was marked by very syncretistic practices including the worship of the emperor (Julius, Augustus, and Claudius), the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis, as well as many other deities. When the Sabbath came Paul went outside the city to the river looking for a place of prayer. The Greek text of Acts 16:13 is somewhat uncertain, but it seems that there were not enough men (i.e., 10) practicing Judaism in Philippi to have a synagogue. This being the case, Paul probably went to the Gangites River (or the Crenides river), approximately 1.5 miles away, in hopes of finding a Jewish “meeting place.” Perhaps it was near a river so that water was accessible for Jewish ritual purifications,⁴ though this is uncertain.

Paul spoke to the women who had gathered there, including a woman named Lydia (or perhaps the Lydian lady) who was a dealer in purple cloth and a proselyte to Judaism (Acts 16:14). She had probably converted to Judaism (since her name is a Gentile name) when living in Thyatira and brought her faith with her to Philippi. As she listened to Paul speak, the Lord opened her heart to respond. Evidently her entire household responded as well, since all of them were baptized together (Acts 16:14-15). Both the reference in Acts 16:15 to “the members of her household” and the fact that Paul and his companions stayed with her, together may indicate that Lydia was a woman of some means. This, then, is the rather auspicious beginnings of the Philippian church.

We must also note the rather lengthy section Luke devotes to Paul’s encounter with the slave girl in Philippi and the events that ensued. In Acts 16:16-18 Paul encountered a slave girl with a demonic spirit which could foretell the future and by which she earned her masters a great deal of money. Paul eventually rebuked the spirit and it left her. As a result she also lost the ability to foretell the future which created no little anger on the part of her owners. So they took Paul and Silas and brought them before the magistrates (Philippi was like a “little” Rome), charging that the missionaries were forcing them, as Roman citizens, to follow customs which were unlawful. The result was that Paul and Silas were thrown into prison after being stripped, beaten, and severely flogged (Acts 16:20-24). Around midnight there was an earthquake and all the prison doors flew open. Paul and Silas did not flee, but instead stayed and shared the gospel with the jailer who subsequently—both he and his entire family—came to the Lord (Acts 16:25-34). After Paul had made a point about his Roman citizenship⁵ to the magistrates who were wishing simply to release them, the missionaries went to the home of Lydia (Acts 16:35-40) and then departed for Apollonia and Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). We are uncertain as to the exact amount of time Paul stayed and ministered in Philippi on this first visit, but it is clear, nonetheless, that he had developed a deep love for them (cf, Phil 1:7). Thus we have Luke’s description of the events of the mission in Philippi—a strategic inroad for the gospel in Europe.

Taken from http://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-background-and-outline-philippians.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

17. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Hello Everyone:  My internet is still down at home so I am at my office today posting.  I was off on yesterday so I didn’t have access to the internet since mine is not working at home.

Today we are focusing on the various views as to where the letter of Philippians was written from.

Date and Place of Writing

The particulars surrounding the place of writing, and also the date, are not as straight forward as the question of authorship. It is, however, obvious on a casual reading of Philippians that Paul is in prison (1:7, 13, 17) and that the Philippians know where this is since they had sent Epaphroditus to him (4:18). But the question remains as to what imprisonment is being referred to. Typically, one of three solutions is advanced: (1) Rome; (2) Ephesus; or (3) Caesarea. Once we have answered this question with a reasonable degree of certainty we can postulate a date for the book.

The traditional answer is that Paul wrote Philippians from Rome during his imprisonment there (cf. Acts 28:30). While there are many factors which contribute to a Roman provenance for the letter, there is are difficulties with this solution. Indeed, some scholars feel, on the basis of these difficulties, that another solution should be sought. The problems revolve around the length of time Paul was in Rome (2 years) and the number of visits to and from Philippi during that period—not to mention the visits Paul was planning, according to Philippians. For example, there must be enough time to have: (1) someone sent from Paul to inform the Philippians that he was in prison; (2) the Philippians send Epaphroditus to Paul with their gift for him (2:25); and (3) someone dispatched to Philippi with the report about Epaphroditus’s health. There are also three other visits mentioned in letter: (1) Epaphroditus takes the letter to Philippi (2:25); and (2) Timothy is to make a round trip to Philippi and back to Rome (2:19)⁷. Some scholars argue that in the ancient world this itinerary would have been impossible to complete in two years.

Motivated in part by the problems with a Roman provenance and the difficult travel schedule this creates, some scholars have argued that the letter was written from Ephesus during Paul’s ministry there (Acts 19:1ff). First, it seems that the Philippian church had helped Paul financially at the outset of his ministry around 49 CE (Phil 4:15-16). If the letter had been written from Rome, then over ten years had passed since they’d helped him again, which seems a bit long according to some scholars—especially for a church that shared such a good relationship with him (see Phil 4:10ff). Thus, they argue, it is unlikely that it was during the Roman imprisonment of 60-62 CE that Paul wrote the letter. But just because Paul mentions their renewed interest in giving (i.e., in 4:10) does not necessarily entail the idea that they had not helped him over the previous ten years.

Other scholars also argue that Paul’s desire to send Timothy with the hope of receiving him back with news from the Philippians (2:19)—even though he believes there will be a verdict soon that might end his life—is a bit strained because of the distance between Rome and Philippi. Paul’s words make more sense, scholars argue, if Timothy was to be sent from Ephesus. But this really presents no problem for the Roman imprisonment since Paul, even though he knew that there was the possibility of death, actually believed that he was going to live and be freed (Phil 1:25).

Another objection raised by certain commentators is that Paul’s opponents in 3:1-3 are most likely Judaizers—a fact which lends itself more easily to the Ephesian imprisonment where Paul is known to have had problems with the Judaizers (cf. Acts 19:8-9, 33). But as Guthrie points out, there were undoubtedly pockets of resistance sometime after the main issues were settled in Jerusalem.⁸ Though Paul mentions the fact that he had been in prison on many occasions (2 Cor 11:23), there is no record in Acts that he was ever imprisoned in Ephesus. Finally, against the Ephesian imprisonment is the lack of reference in Philippians to the collection for the poor in Jerusalem, though it is mentioned in every letter known to have been written around the time of Paul’s Ephesian ministry (Rom, 1 and 2 Cor). This is strange, and even more so, when one considers the fact that Paul was, on the other hand, willing to receive financial assistance from the Philippians. It seems better to interpret Phil 4:10 and the Philippian’s renewed interest in giving to Paul as a reference to their desire to help him after they had given to the saints in Jerusalem.

Other scholars have argued for a Caesarean imprisonment. Paul was imprisoned, according to Acts 24:27, for two years in Caesarea and there is the chance that the palace guard mentioned in Phil 1:13 may be the same as that mentioned in Acts 23:35, i.e., Herod’s palace guard. But the chief problem of the Caesarean view is the fact that it too, like Rome, is a considerable distance from Philippi. Apart from the fact that we know that Paul was actually imprisoned there, there is little else to commend this view.

The information we have makes it impossible to be dogmatic on this question, but the strongest view may still be Rome. If the journeys described in Philippians can be fitted in the two year imprisonment⁹ there is evidence that (1) there was a palace guard in Rome (Phil 1:13); (2) Paul was free to send and receive friends (Phil 2:19-30; Acts 28:30); (3) the reference to “Caesar’s household” fits well with a Roman imprisonment (Phil 4:22); (4) “most of the brothers in the Lord” (Phil 1:14) may indicate a well established church which fits well with the Roman church (and not so well with what we know about the church in Caesarea); (5) the fact that Paul was faced with the possibility of death fits best with Rome since had he been elsewhere he could have always appealed to Caesar; (6) the Marcionite prologue indicates that Rome was the site for the writing of the letter.

If the place of writing is indeed Rome, the date of the letter is probably sometime between 60-62 CE, perhaps toward the end of his imprisonment since he seems to allude to a speedy release (Phil 2:24).

Taken from http://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-background-and-outline-philippians.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

15. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:  Today we will start our study on Philippians.    I have included the history on the authorship our study today.  Tomorrow, we will study origin of writing.

Our scripture memory verse for the week is:  Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Authorship

There has never been any serious doubt as to the authorship of the letter to the Philippians. Paul claims to have written it (1:1; on the relationship of Timothy to the writing of the letter see, “Lesson 2: The Greeting”) and when compared to say Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians, all the internal characteristics of language, style, and historical facts, confirm this. The early church also speaks consistently about Pauline authorship and authority. Hawthorne comments:

Echoes of Philippians may be heard in the writings of Clement (ca. AD 95), Ignatius (ca. AD 107), Hermas (ca. AD 140), Justin Martyr (d. ca. AD 165), Melito of Sardis (d. ca. AD 190) and Theophilus of Antioch (later second century). Polycarp of Smyrna (d. ca. AD 155) addresses himself to the Philippians and directly mentions Paul as having written them (3.2). Irenaeus (d. ca. AD 200). Clement of Alexandria (d. ca. AD 215), Tertullian (d. ca. Ad 225) and the later fathers not only quote from Philippians, but assign it to Paul as well. Philippians appears in the oldest extant lists of NT writings—the Muratorian Canon (later second century) and the special canon of Marcion (d. ca. AD 160). There apparently never was a question in the minds of the Fathers of the Church as to the canonical authority of Philippians or about its authorship.⁶

The authorship of the book, then, according to most scholars is fairly certain: Paul wrote it. There are, however, questions about whether the letter as a whole is unified or a composite of Pauline letters sent to the Philippian church and later grouped together by an editor. These literary questions are complex and cannot be delved into here. Suffice it to say that no two scholars agree on what the various letters are within the “letter.” And, if the seams are indeed as noticeable as one would expect (e.g., there is a disjunction of sorts between 3:1 and 2) why didn’t the so-called redactor or editor do a better job of smoothing them out. In an intensely personal letter—of the sort like Philippians—there is nothing to suggest that a composite is necessary. This commentary will proceed according to the conviction that while there is some disjunction in the letter it is nonetheless a literary whole and makes good sense as such. 

Taken from http://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-background-and-outline-philippians.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

12. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Just wanted to touch basis with you today and remember we will begin our study of Philippians on Monday.  I think you will be truly blessed by this next book.  It has literally changed my life. 

Today, I want to simply share with you some of the powerful scriptures in Philippians that we will be studying.  Just read them over and meditate on them. 

1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

11. August 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:

In Atlanta, we have been having these evening storms that last for less than an hour but come with major lightning and thunder.. over the weekend, our internet went down and it has been down all week.   Or should I say it has been in and out at my home.  It would sometimes allow me to get in and then kick me out before I finished what I am doing.   So sorry, for not posting this week, but I thank you for all your concerns.  I am fine.  No problems.   I can’t seem to get consistent with this post since I returned from my vacation.     I will be posting on Friday, probably just some scriptures that have been on my heart that have been ministering to me and we will begin our Philippians study on Monday.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »