Epistle to the Philippians

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The Epistle to the Philippians is a letter, generally accepted to be written by the Apostle Paul around 62 CE to the church of Philippi, Greece. The letter is mostly a personal correspondence where Paul implores to the Philippians to remain adherents to his beliefs.

Review

  • Much of the letter is the author whining or spouting pious platitudes. There is very little substance here.
  • The author writes that he is "in chains for Christ (1:13)," which would indicate being locked up in a dungeon, but he's still able to write and send letters to his friends, and even embellish his situation by saying he is in chains, and his captors allow it. This is a type of house arrest that most criminal could only dream of!
  • By warning of others preaching a different gospel (1:15-17) a mere three decades after Jesus' death, the author is weakening the case that we have reliable accounts.
  • The letter tells the readers to stand firm in one belief without fear, so that those who oppose you will see it as a sign that your beliefs are correct (1:27-28). This is the logic of a crazy person. All zealots stand fast without fear, but this is not a sign that their beliefs are correct.
  • The author stresses the importance of all of Christ's believers to be of one mind (2:2) and not complaining or arguing (2:14), and yet there are thousands of different Christian denominations.
  • The author is sending mixed messages "we who put no confidence in the flesh, though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more (3:3-4)."
  • It seems as though expecting payment, while pretending to not expect payment, all the while saying God blesses the giver, has always been an aspect of religion (4:17-19).

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