Ironically, in this study on Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we ask you first to open your Bible to…not Philippians. We start out this study of Philippians in the 16th chapter of the book of Acts. Allow me to illustrate why that would be.

Though I am not as avid a world-traveler as many, I have been on numerous national and international mission trips. When I get back home, I generally tell my friends and family only a little bit about the culture, the sights, the accommodations, and the travel itself, but I spend the majority of my time talking to anyone that will listen about the people.

My photo albums are not filled with pictures of the (often breathtaking) scenery, but I have scores of pictures of the people that I met while serving there. The individuals in the area are the reason I went in the first place. They are the topics that consume my
post-trip conversations and memories which I will keep with me for life. The most important thing about the mission trip is the people. It is the people that endear the city to our heart. The same is true for Paul and the Philippians.

On Paul’s second missionary journey (recorded in Acts 16), he spends time in Philippi. It is this experience in Philippi that sets the backdrop for the letter that he would write later to the Philippians. Before we study that letter we need to meet the people that Paul met. This first session introduces us to three people that Paul met in Philippi whose stories the Scriptures have preserved for us to study for centuries. Their stories and backgrounds could not possibly be any different.

Though every church has a somewhat unique story of its beginnings, none is as unique as Philippi, the first church in the history of all of Europe. The story is far from how you and I would start the Christian movement on a continent. But then, again, God is a touch smarter than we are. The birth of the church in Philippi is truly an odd and seemingly unadvisable way to start a church, but isn’t that just like God?

Let us hear from you.

What are some amazing stories of how God started the church you attend? What are some of those people’s stories who are in your church? Perhaps you are one of those stories?

Want the whole teaching series on Philippians for your next group study?

You can either it buy it on DVD or rent/buy one session at a time with our exclusive digital delivery service.  This topic is featured in Session 1 of Philippians.