The Church at Philippi; Acts 15:36-16:40

Delivered during the Evenfall service, 7/2/2023. As we prepare to study the book of Philippians, I think it only appropriate that we learn something about the church at Philippi. First we will delve into the history of the city itself, so we can understand the kind of town Philippi was, and thereby the kind of people who lived there. We will then turn to the book of Acts to trace Paul's steps on his second missionary voyage and the vision that led to his first visit to Philippi. We will meet several of the initial members of the church, and the extraordinary circumstances that brought about their conversions. We will also meet one of its leaders who visited Paul in prison, bringing news of the church and prompting Paul to write this letter. In the process, we will develop a vivid picture of the nature of the church and its people. Ultimately we will set the groundwork to why many have called Paul's letter to the church at Philippi a "love letter".