Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Philippians and Colossians
    Philippians and Colossians
    Philippians and Colossians
    Ebook175 pages2 hours

    Philippians and Colossians

    By F. Wayne Mac Leod

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This is a devotional commentary on Paul's letters to the Philippians and the Colossians.

    Philippi was an important Roman centre in the province of Macedonia. In the days of Paul it was a military centre and many soldiers walked its streets. The church in Philippi stood firmly behind the apostle in his ministry and did what they could to support him. Their participation in the gospel meant much to Paul and his spends time in this book thanking them. During this time the apostle was in prison. The church was concerned about this. As a result Paul seeks to encourage them and teach them the importance of perseverance in the Christian walk.

    Colossae was also an important city in the day of Paul. It was a commercial city. A man by the name of Epaphras was one of the key leaders in the church in the city of Colossae. There are hints throughout the book the church in this city was struggling with a number of false teachings in their midst. Paul writes to warn the Colossians about getting sidetracked by these false teachers. He also gives some very practical instructions on how to live the Christian life.

    Each chapter of this commentary concludes with some questions to consider and some points for prayer to help the reader apply the teaching of each section to his or her own personal life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherF. Wayne Mac Leod
    Release dateFeb 17, 2015
    ISBN9781311165480
    Philippians and Colossians
    Author

    F. Wayne Mac Leod

    F. Wayne Mac Leod was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada and received his education at Ontario Bible College, University of Waterloo and Ontario Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Hespeler Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ontario in 1991. He and his wife, Diane served as missionaries with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship (now merged with SIM) on the islands of Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean from 1985-1993 where he was involved in church development and leadership training. He is presently involved in a writing ministry and is a member of Action International Ministries.

    Read more from F. Wayne Mac Leod

    Related to Philippians and Colossians

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Why Do The Wicked Prosper?

      Sep 4, 2020

      Why Do The Wicked Prosper?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Stepping Into The Book Of Romans

      Oct 2, 2020

      The New Testament book of Romans is a copy of a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome, sometime around the end of 58AD while he was in Corinth. He had never been to the Roman church before, although he had desired to do so for a lo

      2 min read

    • Article

      Ask Val

      Jun 24, 2022

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • Article

      THE WAR FOR OUR YOUTH Why creation still matters

      Dec 30, 2019

      We’re being told by public education systems, universities, media, some parents, and unfortunately many church leaders, that parts of the Bible are not relevant anymore and that we need to reinvent God’s word. So, with this situation, in order to und

      3 min read

    • Article

      Characters of the Bible Epaphroditus & Epaphras

      Dec 29, 2023

      This month we will take a look at two biblical men who, while related in name, served the early Church in different ways. The name Epaphroditus and its diminutive form Epaphras are male names associated with the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Lite

      3 min read

    • Article

      Pastors Need A Firm BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

      Dec 30, 2019

      The Gospel is the most powerful force on this earth. The transformative power of the Cross changes lives around the world daily. If the Gospel is not changing hearts, then it is not the full Gospel that is being preached. In Africa today we see a num

      4 min read

    • Article

      Paul's Ministry Companions

      Oct 21, 2019

      Paul's Ministry Companions
      3 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      A Burden On The Heart Of The Believer “I Charge You Therefore, Preach The Word!”

      Oct 21, 2019

      Most of us would recognise that the last words of a great and godly man or woman before their death would likely be words of great value. Words to consider and ponder. Jesus’ seven statements from the Cross are of that category and are thus recorded

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Good Reason to PRAY

      Jun 15, 2020

      A Good Reason to PRAY
      2 min read

    • Article

      Proclaiming The GOOD NEWS Laying Everything Down For The Sake Of The Gospel

      Apr 22, 2019

      In Romans 1, we read the story of Paul the apostle giving a message to the church in Rome. After the resurrection, Paul tells the church that their faith is being proclaimed to the whole world; that Jesus, their Messiah, was raised from the dead and

      3 min read

    • Article

      Receiving The Good News Lessons From The Parable Of The Sower

      Jun 12, 2020

      The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. It is the best-selling book year after year, every year. It far outsells any other book, with a whopping 4 billion copies sold over the last 50 years. The mission with which I work, Hellenic Ministries,

      5 min read

    • Article

      Test Your General BIBLE KNOWLEDGE

      Dec 31, 2021

      See how many of these you can fill in before checking the answers on page 14. After you test yourself, try reading the questions aloud to a friend or family member and see how they do! 1 True or False: The Bible is the most popular book ever writt

      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Philippians and Colossians

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Philippians and Colossians - F. Wayne Mac Leod

      PHILIPPIANS AND COLOSSIANS

      A Devotional Look at Paul's Letters to the Philippians and the Colossians

      F. Wayne Mac Leod

      LIGHT TO MY PATH BOOK DISTRIBUTION

      Smashwords Edition

      www.ltmp.ca

      Copyright © 2013 by F. Wayne Mac Leod

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licences for personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thanks for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Second edition: July 2013

      Previously published by Authentic Media, 129 Mobilization Drive, Waynesboro, GA 30830 USA and 9 Holdom Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK1 1QR, UK

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

      All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise specified, are taken from the New International Version of the Bible (Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used with permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers, All rights reserved.)

      Scripture quotations marked NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Scriptures marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible

      Special thanks to the proof readers and reviewers without whom this book would be much harder to read.

      Table of Contents

      Preface

      Introduction to Philippians

      Chapter 1 - Thanking God for You

      Chapter 2 - Good from Evil

      Chapter 3 - In Life or Death

      Chapter 4 - This Same Attitude

      Chapter 5 - No Grumbling

      Chapter 6 - Timothy and Epaphroditus

      Chapter 7 - No Confidence in the Flesh

      Chapter 8 - Pressing On

      Chapter 9 - Enemies of the Cross

      Chapter 10 - Stand Firm

      Chapter 11 - Content in Every Situation

      Introduction to Colossians

      Chapter 12 - The Faith and Love of the Colossians

      Chapter 13 - He Is

      Chapter 14 - Presented Perfect in His Sight

      Chapter 15 - The Riches of a Complete Understanding

      Chapter 16 - Christ versus Human Traditions

      Chapter 17 - Putting to Death the Evil Nature

      Chapter 18 - Life in the Body

      Chapter 19 - Relationships in the Body

      Chapter 20 - Prayer, Wisdom and Grace

      Chapter 21 - Final Greetings

      Light To My Path Book Distribution

      PREFACE

      In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul presented the Lord Jesus as an example of humility and meekness. He challenged the believers in Philippi to take the Lord Jesus as their example. Though he was in prison himself, the apostle encouraged the Philippians to live in the joy that comes from knowing the Lord. He reminded them that God was over all their trials and sufferings. Paul told them how the Lord was using his own suffering to accomplish great good for the church. In this letter Paul spoke to those who were suffering. He challenged them to lift up their heads and joyfully consider the Lord Jesus.

      In his letter to the Colossians, Paul again presented Christ as the central theme. Paul spoke directly to the issue of legalism. He confronted the false teachers of the day and pointed the Colossians to the Lord Jesus and His work as being sufficient for their salvation. He demonstrated how Christ and His work alone is the means of salvation. He then challenged the believers of Colossae to live in freedom from the law. Paul concluded this letter with some advice about personal relationships in the body of Christ and encouraged each believer to press on to maturity.

      I trust that the Lord God will bless this book and use it to encourage those who read it. Please read it with your Bible in hand. This is not a substitute for the Bible. Its purpose is to make the letters of Philippians and Colossians clear and practical. I will consider this work a success if it brings you even a little closer to the Lord. May God use this book to inspire you in your relationship with Him. Let Paul speak again to you through this devotional commentary, and may the Spirit of God empower and encourage all who read it.

      F. Wayne Mac Leod

      INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS

      Author:

      The apostle Paul introduces himself as the author of the letter to the Philippians in the first verse. In this letter, Paul speaks quite personally about his relationship with the Philippians and reminds them in specific detail of how they had contributed to his personal ministry.

      Background:

      The city of Philippi was the leading city of the province of Macedonia. In the days of Paul it was a Roman colony (Acts 16:12). The city was a military settlement and many Roman soldiers walked its streets.

      There was much opposition to the ministry of Paul in the city of Philippi. While preaching there he was attacked, beaten and thrown in prison (Acts 16:22-24). This resulted, however, in the conversion of the jailor in charge. The first convert in the region was a merchant woman by the name of Lydia (Acts 16:11-15).

      The church that resulted from this early work of Paul stood firmly behind him in his missionary work. In Philippians 4:15, Paul reminds the Philippians that they were the only church to stand behind him financially in his work in Macedonia.

      At the time of writing, Paul was in prison (Philippians 1:7-13). The Philippians were obviously concerned about this and sent Epaphroditus to bring him a gift in his time of need (Philippians 4:18). Paul likely sent Epaphroditus back to Philippi with this letter (Philippians 2:25-28).

      The epistle to the Philippians is very personal. Paul’s desire seems to be to ease the concern of the believers in Philippi for him in his time of imprisonment. He also wants to thank them for the gift they had given him and their partnership from the beginning. The letter expresses Paul’s deep love for the believers in this region. He thanks God for them and their partnership (1:3, 5), he tells them that they were very dear to his heart (1:7), calls them dear friends (2:12) and speaks of them as those he loved and longed for (4:1).

      Using his own life circumstance as a starting point, Paul encourages the Philippians to press on in their own struggles. He shares with them some helpful insights in how to deal with the pain and suffering they too would have to face.

      The Importance of the Book for Today:

      The letter to the Philippians has some important lessons to teach us about suffering. In this book Paul reminds us that God is bigger than our struggles and can use them to accomplish his plan. The relationship between Paul and the church of Philippi is an example for us, teaching us the importance of the body of Christ and its role for encouragement and support. Of particular importance is the teaching of Paul regarding suffering and trials. Not only do we catch a glimpse of Paul`s attitude in suffering, but, in this letter, Paul shows us how we are to deal with life’s problems in a godly way. He points us to God as the Lord over trials and suffering. He teaches us what our attitude needs to be and encourages us to press on in the strength the Lord will provide.

      Chapter 1 - THANKING GOD FOR YOU

      Read Philippians 1:1-11

      Paul wrote this letter to believers in the region of Philippi. The city of Philippi was known particularly as a military settlement with many soldiers circulating in its streets. Here in this city, a wonderful work of God had begun through the ministry of Paul and Silas. We have the record of their visit to this region in Acts 16. Paul introduced a woman by the name of Lydia to the gospel. She opened her home to Paul, and a small church was established. It was not easy for Paul in Philippi. He was beaten and imprisoned in that city; but while in prison, he led a jailor and his family to the Lord. From this humble beginning, the Lord did a mighty work and established a powerful church in that area.

      By the time Paul wrote this letter, the church had been well established. Notice in verse 1 that Paul and Timothy wrote to the saints in the region as well as to the overseers and deacons. This shows us that the work in Philippi had been growing in Paul’s absence. Paul did not usually stay very long in any one place. He came long enough to preach the gospel and establish a leadership team but then left the new believers to continue what he had started.

      Paul began this letter by reminding the church of the grace and peace that comes from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. Peace has to do with being in harmony with God and his purposes in this world. There are many people in need of that unmerited favor and peace of God in their lives. Notice, however, that Paul spoke here to believers. Even believers need the favor and mercy of God. We all can fall short of the standard God has for us. Grace is not only for the unbeliever. As believers, we are also in need of God’s grace. The same is true for His peace. While our relationship with God is secure, all too often we are not experiencing the peace that God intends us to experience in our relationship with Him. Paul’s heart overflowed with gratitude to God for the Philippians. Every time they came to his mind, the apostle would thank God for them. Paul lived in this attitude of prayer. As he went through the day and the Lord brought people to his attention, Paul would lift them up to the Lord in prayer. We need to take a lesson from this. How often in the course of a day, does the Lord bring people to our minds? Sometimes we may not have anything particular on our heart to pray for them but we can thank God for them like Paul.

      Paul told the Philippians that every time he prayed for them, it was with great joy in his heart. The Philippians seemed to occupy a special place in Paul’s heart. The church in Philippi had partnered with Paul in spreading the gospel. From the time that Paul met them, they stood behind his ministry and persevered with him in prayer. Churches like this enabled Paul to continue preaching the gospel. Though they were not on the front line like Paul, they were still very important in the work of the kingdom.

      Paul reminded the believers in Philippi that he was confident that the Lord who had begun a good work in them would complete that work (verse 6). Notice a couple of things in this verse. First, it is God who does the work. It is true that Paul had gone to the region of Philippi. He had preached the gospel there, and under his ministry people had come to Christ. But Paul did not see this as his own work. There was no doubt in his mind that the work of salvation in Philippi was the work of God. We need to understand this in our own ministries as well. We can try to do all we can to change those we love, but until the Lord intervenes and makes those changes possible, all our efforts will be in vain. Changing people’s hearts is God’s work. We are called to be instruments in the process of change, but it must be God who begins the work and brings it to completion.

      How often have I tried in my own strength to change things in my life? I have often tried to pray more and discipline myself more. I have tried to not say certain things or think certain things. The reality of the matter, however, is that unless the Lord is in our efforts, there is no real hope of lasting change in our lives. While we must be willing partners, the strength and power for change must be His. When the Lord Jesus returned to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of those who accepted Him. True change must be the work of God through His Holy Spirit. We must stop trying to change things ourselves and let the Lord make those changes for us. God completes the work He

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1