Philippians 1:27-30
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to
believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Reflection
It is important to note here that Philippi at this time prized itself as a little Rome. So, the city of Philippi is not a safe place for followers of Jesus. In our scripture today, Paul is encouraging the church at Philippi to continue to live out their faith in the midst of persecution. The word in verse 27 translated “conduct” is a slang term for living out one’s citizenship. This means how the Christian way of life is lived out and intersects with the life in the city. Paul is telling them that by living out your faith openly, even in the midst of persecution, you will give the unbelieving world a sign that you are saved by grace. How do you think this applies to our time? We in Indianapolis are not persecuted but we have a faith that is in many ways counter-cultural. How does living out our faith in spite of what others might say a
representation of the gospel?
