For many of whom I often told you, and even now am writing with tears, walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ: they walk to their final destruction, their god is the belly and their glory is in shameful things, their minds are earthly bound. But our πολίτευμα is in heaven from where we expect the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Savior. Philippians 3:18-20 Paul's letters to Philippians show us that this rather outspoken man had plenty of opportunity and cause to aggravate his christian contemporaries. However, for Paul to use such hostility and to name people as “enemies” shows us that we should take note and try to understand the meaning behind his statement. In this work the author asks: who were these enemies? What did they do wrong? Why did they deserve destruction? In search of these questions the investigation looks to the early Christian communities and their formation within the socio-political realities of the urban centers of the Roman Empire. Through this we learn a great deal about the uneven and complex dynamics of the early Christian community and a deep understanding of Paul's warning to them.

Sergienko, Gennadi Andreyevich, author

Gennadij Andreevič Sergienko

Langham Creative Projects

Langham Global Library

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Carlisle, England, 2013

obscured text inherent front cover

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-227).

xx, 227 pages ; 23 cm
Paul's letters to Philippians show us that this rather outspoken man had plenty of opportunity and cause to aggravate his Christian contemporaries. However, for Paul to use such hostility, as he does in Philippians 3:18-20, and to name people as "enemies" shows us that we should take note and try to understand the meaning behind his statement. In this work the author asks: who were these enemies? What did they do wrong? Why did they deserve destruction? In search of these questions the investigation looks to the early Christian communities and their formation within the socio-political realities of the urban centers of the Roman Empire. Through this we learn a great deal about the uneven and complex dynamics of the early Christian community and a deep understanding of Paul's warning to them
Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-227)
Introduction -- Voluntary associations within a Graeco-Roman city -- The Roman colony of Philippi -- Voluntary associations at Philippi -- Christian ekklēsia at Philippi and voluntary associations: discovering the points of correlation -- The earthly politeuma of the enemies of the cross and Paul's vision of the politeuma in Heaven (Phil. 3:18-20) -- Cults attested at and near Philippi -- Membership list of the Silvanus Association at Philippi -- Graeco-Roman and Jewish literary sources on politeuma

2023-06-28