of the Lord.
Eph6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Eph6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Eph6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Eph6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Eph6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Eph6:21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
Eph6:22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
Eph6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph6:24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Philippians
The early church was unanimous in its testimony that Philippians was written by the apostle Paul (see 1:1). Internally the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. The many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul from other NT books.
It is evident that Paul wrote the letter from prison (see 1:13-14). Some have argued that this imprisonment took place in Ephesus, perhaps c. a.d. 53-55; others put it in Caesarea c. 57-59. Best evidence, however, favors Rome as the place of origin and the date as c. 61. This fits well with the account of Paul's house arrest in Ac 28:14-31. When he wrote Philippians, he was not in the Mamertine dungeon as he was when he wrote 2 Timothy. He was in his own rented house, where for two years he was free to impart the gospel to all who came to him.
Paul's primary purpose in writing this letter was to thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent him upon learning of his detention at Rome (1:5; 4:10-19). However, he makes use of this occasion to fulfill several other desires: (1) to report on his own circumstances (1:12-26; 4:10-19); (2) to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of circumstances (1:27-30; 4:4); (3) to exhort them to humility and unity (2:1-11; 4:2-5); (4) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19-30); and (5) to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers (legalists) and antinomians (libertines) among them (ch. 3).
The city of Philippi (see map, p. 2445) was named after King Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. It was a prosperous Roman colony, which meant that the citizens of Philippi were also citizens of the city of Rome itself. They prided themselves on being Romans (see Ac 16:21), dressed like Romans and often spoke Latin. No doubt this was the background for Paul's reference to the believer's heavenly citizenship (3:20-21). Many of the Philippians were retired military men who had been given land in the vicinity and who in turn served as a military presence in this frontier city. That Philippi was a Roman colony may explain why there were not enough Jews there to permit the establishment of a synagogue and why Paul does not quote the OT in the Philippian letter.
Philippians contains no OT quotations (but see note on Job 13:16).
It is a missionary thank-you letter in which the missionary reports on the progress of his work.
It manifests a particularly vigorous type of Christian living: (1) self-humbling (2:1-4); (2) pressing toward the goal (3:13-14); (3) lack of anxiety (4:6); (4) ability to do all things (4:13).
It is outstanding as the NT letter of joy; the word 'joy' in its various forms occurs some 16 times.
It contains one of the most profound Christological passages in the NT (2:5-11). Yet, profound as it is, Paul includes it mainly for illustrative purposes.
Greetings (1:1-2)
Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippians (1:3-11)
Paul's Personal Circumstances (1:12-26)
Exhortations (1:27 -- 2:18)
Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-30)
Following the Servant Attitude of Christ (2:1-18)
Paul's Associates in the Gospel (2:19-30)
Timothy (2:19-24)
Epaphroditus (2:25-30)
Warnings against Judaizers and Antinomians (3:1 -- 4:1)
Against Judaizers or Legalists (3:1-16)
Against Antinomians or Libertines (3:17 -- 4:1)
Final Exhortations, Thanks and Conclusion (4:2-23)
Exhortations concerning Various Aspects of the Christian Life (4:2-9)
Concluding Testimony and Repeated Thanks (4:10-20)
Final Greetings and Benediction (4:21-23)
Phi1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Phi1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Phi1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Phi1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
Phi1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
