Philippi was the center of Paul’s Macedonian ministry. In all of the Macedonian cities — Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea — Paul ran into strong opposition from the Jews. In this letter, Paul writes to the church in Philippi to encourage them to not lose hope. The people were being discouraged by both Paul’s imprisonment and by the strong opposition they were facing by the false teachers. Paul encourages them to receive the joy, peace, and humility of Jesus so that they can be strong, press on, and finish the race. This is a very encouraging letter for people who are experiencing difficult times.

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