Philippians Revealed Beginning this Week

This week our community will begin looking at the letter from the Apostle Paul to the Philippians. It is interesting that this book emphasizes Paul's joy because of the "gospel". This is interesting because it was on the plains near Philippi where Caesar Augustus defeated his enemies, rose to power, and established a new order in the Roman world.

Under Augustus the Pax Romana was the ideology that brought about the "gospel" of Caesar Augustus. Under his rulership, the empire exalted him to the place of divinity and attributed their peace and well being to his gracious goodness to the people.

It is in this world that Paul writes declaring a gospel about a Divine ruler who gives peace and hope to the whole world. Instead of bashing the Roman empire with negativity, Paul proclaims a new positive message about Jesus. This is the context in which Paul proclaims the "gospel" or good news about Jesus.

For Community Groups:

How do you define "gospel"?

What is the gospel that we buy into in our modern world?

Do you think the gospel of Jesus makes a difference in life today? How?