Kingdom dynamics

The Concept of Heavenly Citizenship IV

Abreham G

Phil 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ

In the GNT (Greek New Testament) “conduct yourselves” is one word (verb), “politeuesthe”. In the entire New Testament this verb appears only twice. Once here and once in Acts 23:1. In the Acts narrative we see Paul defending himself before a Jewish Sanhedrin. In his opening statement he boldly declared that he has lived (pepoliteumai) for God in good conscience. Most Bible versions translate [pe]politeumai simply as “live.” For me however “live” does not do justice to the whole idea of politeumai Paul is referring to. TNIV (Today's New International Version) prefers “fulfilled my duty.” NASB (New American Standard Bible) in its marginal notation reads “conducted myself as a citizen.” Both versions understood that this kind of “living” is closely associated with the idea of citizenship.

Paul insisted that he has so far fulfilled his duties as a citizen of God's commonwealth/colony/community¹. The High Priest disagreed. I think he feels Paul had not only abandoned his duties as a Jew (in light of his failure to prosecute the Diaspora Jews who believed in Christ), but committed a treasonous act that would threaten the survival of the Jewish nation. He assumed that Paul has been teaching Diaspora Jews to abandon the laws and the customs that define them as Jews. How can Paul then convince the High Priest that in preaching Christ he was actually fulfilling his citizenship duties? For Paul true Judaism embraces Christ. For him welcoming Christ as the promised Messiah and preaching to others to welcome him as well ranks first among his Jewish duties. This altercation between Paul and the High Priest at least gives us the idea that the argument was not about Paul's private/personal piety as much as his public life. Hence, politeumai refers to an individual's public duties that arise out of his/her participation in a polites (a religious, cultural, and/or sociopolitical group)².

The same idea is reflected in Paul's command to the Philiipians. I have paraphrased it as, “whether I am present or absent all of you have to fulfill your public duties that befits the gospel of Christ as citizens of the newly instituted community of God, the church.” The question then is “what manner of conduct will qualify as fulfilling citizenship (public) duties that is worthy of the gospel of Christ?” Paul has made it clear. First and foremost it should be noted that it is a corporate call. The command was given to the community as a whole not to individuals. Individual efforts matter as long as they are performed in the context and for the benefit of the community. And such a commitment to the gospel needs to be met with a vigorous corporate life. We are called to live and thrive as a community. We need each other. God made us to be interdependent. There is no self made hero.

1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. (emphasis mine)

Paul made the right call to ensure the continuity of God's program of salvation. Whether he was present or absent (among the Philippians because of distance or among all churches because of martyrdom) what God has begun among his people needs to continue until the coming of Christ (1:6). Nothing guarantees the progress of the gospel as unity. Those who strive together will eventually stand firm.

Murray tries to establish a link between the striving together language and the then popular (though brutal) sport of gladiator fighting³. Sometimes gladiators fought in groups. For them fighting as a team was a matter of survival. Division among God's people gives the enemy enough space to thwart the progress of the gospel. The gospel that Paul was imprisoned for could easily be derailed if divisiveness has its way among God's people. That was one of the issues that concerned Paul.

One mind signifies a strong undivided bond that needs to exist among the Philippians. Paul used similar expression to show his and Timothy's co-souled/ equal-lifed (if there is such a word) commitment to the gospel. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. (2:19-20). Here like him (isopsuke) carries the idea of equal-lifedness, co-souledness, or to use a more appropriate term, like-mindedness.

Thus the question is, “is it possible to be like minded/co-souled/equal-lifed with a fellow believer?” Especially in these days where individualism is celebrated like it has never been in history, how can there be such a strong bond among ministers of the gospel? Is such unity a possibility or was Paul simply using a rhetorical devise that should not be taken quite literally? 

To be continued . . . . . .

1Miller argues that Paul's use of politeumai both in Acts 23:1 and in Philippians is a major departure from the way the term was understood and used in Jewish literatures, to refer to the covenant community of Israel. He contends that Paul used it to craft a new ecclesiology – the church as the New Israel, hence drawing no distinction between his Jewishness and his identity as a follower of Christ. Πολυτειίεσθε IN PHILIPPIANS 1.27: SOME PHILOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC OBSERVATIONS. JSNT 15 (1982) 86-96

2Murry, W. George. Paul's Corporate Witness in Philippians. Bibliotheca Sacra 155, 1998. pp 316-326

3Ibid 320

Special Edition

I want to dedicate this post to Meskerem Begna, a woman of faith whom I came to know recently. A few years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. I visited with her and her family the night before she was admitted to a hospital. As we were praying and worshiping the Lord, she praised God as if nothing had happened. Through the years I followed her life closely and found out that she was not faking it. She meant it. She is as thankful, as cheerful, and as faithful as she was that night. She also continued to support her local church's mission work in Ethiopia even when she had enough reasons to pull back her financial commitments. Meski, thank you for embodying a life of faith, integrity, and compassion. You are an inspiration for those of us who know you well.

An Unusual Worship

Last week Americans here at home and elsewhere celebrated Thanksgiving. As usual most people ate turkey. My wife and I also had our share of turkey with a lovely American family. It was yummy. Thanksgiving is more than turkey eating tradition. It is a time when individuals and families count their blessings and be thankful.

The holiday made me think of a character in the Bible who had nothing to count for. His name is Job. The author of the Book of Job describes him as perfect, upright, one who fears God and turns from evil. These are not ordinary testimonies. He was the wealthiest man in the east (wherever that is). If a man has the kind of wealth Job had and is described in such a manner, he must really be perfect.

The first two chapters of the Book narrate the calamities that descended upon the perfect, upright, God fearing, evil shunning Job. He did not deserve them. I do not believe anyone deserves them. The story has puzzled generations of devout men and women. Why did a just God allow this to happen to Job? Some have suggested that Job is a fictional figure of patience and perseverance, not a real person. But I have not found any reasons to doubt the historicity of Job. I believe he was a real person whose story serves as a source of inspiration for those suffering.

As the story continues Job is set to lose everything he had worked for. When his servants brought one bad news after another, they cared less to wait for their turn. While one was speaking, another rushes in with yet more bad news. Before Job had time to assess his loss, he received the most dreadful news – the death of his nine children. Nothing could be more shocking, horrifying, and devastating.

What struck me most was not the barrage of disasters that fell upon Job. It was rather his response. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped (1:20). That was not what I expected. First I thought his heart would stop beating. It did not. Then I felt he would collapse. No, he did not. He must be a tough person. What he did next defied my expectations. He tore his clothes, shaved his head, and worshiped. What!? Worshiped!? That is unbelievable! Extraordinary! Stunning!

I barely see people worship God for their loss. But Job did. That is why I found him to be a unique character in the Bible. He worshiped and said

Naked I came from my mother's womb,

and naked I shall return there.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.

Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Some “teachers” slapped Job for uttering these words. Because his words could not concur with their image of God. Some of them even blamed Job for his loss. They claimed that he lived in fear and not by faith. Really!? I would rather have Job's faith than theirs. I would rather have a faith that makes me prostrate before YHWH and bless his NAME, even in loss.

Job uttered those words in the context and spirit of worship. Paul in 1 Tim 6:7 echoes these same words “for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” He said it in the context of godliness and contentment. Paul is saying that godliness is not a means of gain, nor is gain a proof of godliness. Job lost his family and wealth, but not his godliness. Satan accused him saying that Job is godly because God guards his wealth. Satan said Job's godliness is not a permanent virtue. It vanishes away with his possessions. Misguided teachers in 1 Timothy 6:5 echoed this same theology. They claimed that godliness is a means of financial gain. For them godliness is not an end in itself. Satan too said that Job's godliness is tied to his gains.

God and the hosts of heaven were watching. Job's servants were watching. Satan was watching. Generations of God fearing men and women are watching. Will Job bless God? Or will he curse him? The author of Job says, “in all these (losses) Job did not sin nor gave folly (inappropriate words) to God.” (v. 22). These are the last words in Job 1. Job passed the test. He blessed YHWH. He was perfect in v. 1 and stayed that way in v. 22. Any attempt to portray Job as a faithless man betrays the intent of the author of Job, and of God. He is a man of unusual problems, a man of unusual faith, and a man of unusual expressions of worship.  

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James 5:10-11

On the next post I will publish the follow up article of "the concept of heavenly citizenship." 

Kingdom dynamics

The concept of heavenly citizenship III

Abreham G.

In part two of my article I argued that the idea of citizenship in Phil 3:20 has some kind of link to Philippi's status as a Roman city and its Roman citizen residents. The city was administered as though it was Rome and the people, at least those elevated to Roman citizenship, lived as though they were in Rome. Paul's injunction for the Christian community of Philippi was that they need to behave as citizens of heaven. Then the question one might raise is “how do people of heaven behave?”

What is heaven? Is heaven a place where Christians go to when they die or where Jesus is taking us when he comes back? Or is heaven a reality, a paradigm, a realm that we are in touch with constantly? I cannot answer these questions in this article¹. Because Paul did not say much about what heaven is like in this text. What he made explicit was rather what people of heaven (citizens of heaven) look like and how they behave. This becomes even clearer when we read the way he talked about these life patterns. “Join together in following my example . . . keep your eyes on those who live as we do . . . [f]or . . . many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (emphasis mine). Here Paul is presenting heaven as a paradigm, a pattern of life which Christians should follow or imitate. Therefore, heavenly citizenship means avoiding one form of life pattern and adopting another. Which ones are we to avoid and which ones should we adopt?

1. Avoid

3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things (emphasis mine).

Paul did not specifically say that the Philippians should avoid these people he tagged as “enemies of the cross.” By setting himself and those that were like him as role models, he implied that there were others the Philippians should not follow/imitate. Who were these people? Their identity is a subject of speculation among biblical scholars. And I do not dare to go that direction. I would focus on the characters or life patterns that constitute enmity to the cross of Christ.

Broadly speaking, meaning in light of established New Testament teachings, enmity to the cross means, a refusal to embrace the cross as God's sole remedy for human sinfulness. This was what Paul encountered at Corinth (1 Cor 1:18 ff). The cross of Christ, for the wisdom seeking Greeks and the miracle craving Jews, was a cause for offense. They could not comprehend the message/kerugma of the cross – a crucified Messiah/Son of God – to be a revelation of God's saving wisdom and power. How can it be? Jews would say “how can an imposter who was executed for claiming to be the Son of God be a Messiah?” And the Greeks would argue “a dying Son of God? That is absurd. The gods do not die! Anyone who claims to be one and die must be a lunatic of some sort.” Despite these actual and assumed allegations against the gospel, we have not changed our kerugma. We are like a musician who plays the same music year after year. We have been proclaiming the kerugma of a crucified and a resurrected Messiah from the heydays of the Roman Empire to the postmodern world. God's ways are not always conventional. The sooner we come to terms with this reality, the better.

Enmity to the cross also means a refusal to conform to the image of the suffering Christ (3:11)². The Philippians were suffering in the hands of their own countrymen. Paul too was imprisoned by the Romans for the sake of the gospel. Yet, he made a bold declaration that suffering for the sake of Christ has been given (the Greek term is graced, just as salvation is graced) to Christians (1:29)³. Although, he did not mention the subject who made the giving/gracing, we are certain about one thing – that no disciple of Christ should shy away from it⁴. Suffering for the sake of the gospel is a distant memory among churches in the western hemisphere. It was not so in the first few centuries of church history. It is not so even today for Christians of the Majority World (developing countries).

Furthermore, Verse 19 lists the characters that constitute enmity to the cross of Christ. It is a life pattern crafted by an earthly mindset. It deifies (godifies) sensuality and glamors in its shame. Finally it ends in destruction. These descriptions sum up our popular culture. Adopting heavenly life patterns requires first of all denouncing a lifestyle that would constitute enmity to the cross of Christ. That is called repentance.

1. Adopt

3:20-21 But [for] our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (emphasis mine).

What were the Philippian expected to adopt? And what is its implications for us who live in the post modern times? Simply what was God's word for them is God's word for us. Hence the implication is many. According to verses 20-21 it meant eagerly awaiting the appearing of Jesus Christ, the Supreme Lord and Savior of humanity, setting our hope in the glory that we partake when he comes back – the transformation of our bodies into the likeness of Christ's body of glory. When we go a little further and examine the entire epistle, it means; rejoicing in the Lord even in suffering (1:18, 19; 2:16), using every opportunity for the gospel (1:12-13), counting death (death of a martyr) as gain (1:21-23), looking out for the interests of others ahead of ourselves (2:19-21), risking our lives for the sake of the gospel (2:30), holding the knowledge of Christ in high regard and consider all gains rubbish (3:8-9), and imitating and transforming into the likeness of Christ in his suffering (3:10-11). If we dare to go even further to the rest of Scripture, it means joining the company of the faithful who throughout history lived their lives in God's pattern.

Are these what you expected heavenly citizenship to be? A list of life patterns that look grim and not flashy? I hope I have not disappointed you. If I do, please blame Paul, not me. Because I too was jolted when I discovered what it means to be a heavenly citizen. There is nothing exciting about suffering. How can I be asked to look for the interests of others ahead of myself while I am buried in my own problems. But I have a good news. Paul had made them look simple. He said “watch and learn”. He sets himself and other like him (contextually speaking Timothy and Epaphroditus) as role models. His last remark on verse 19 where he talks about the mind of the wrong models sets an interpretive paradigm to the concept of heavenly citizenship of verse 20.⁵ The genesis of heavenly life patterns lies in the mindset of its messengers, those who proclaimed the downing of God's rule in the person and work of Jesus Christ. I feel like Paul was saying, “as much as I have the mind of Christ, get that mindset!” He behaved the way he did because he had a different set of mind. He had a unique “philosophy”, if I may use the term. He approached everything and everyone (himself, others around him including the praetorian guard, Caesar's household, the Jews, his co-workers, the Philippians, his sufferings, the life that is and the life to come) from a different perspective, a heavenly one. Such perspectives are rare commodities. They cannot be shopped at a nearby grocery store. They require us to pay careful attention and reflect on the lives of these role models, past and present. If you find anyone who is heavenlier, please note him or her. If you do, you will save Paul(s) some tears. 

To be continued . . .

1For further inquiry please refer to “Surprised by Hope” by N. T. Wright.

2Stephen E. Fowl, Philippians. The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2005 170-171

3The verb “granted” in Greek is “echaristhe”. The noun “charis” is equivalent to the English “grace”.

4“For you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” Phil 1:29 (NIV). The verb 'has been granted' in the Greek is one word echaristhe and is in the passive voice, emphasizing the act rather than the actor. O'Brien argues that the verb in the passive voice “signifies that the gracious activity was God's” 159.

5Fee 363. See Phil 2:5; 3:15; and 4:8 for further proof of Paul's emphasis on the thought paradigm of the Philippians. In all three occasions he has set Christ and himself as examples. 

Kingdom dynamics

The concept of heavenly citizenship II

Abreham G.

3:17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (emphasis mine)

A. Meaning

The term citizenship (Politeuma in Greek) is defined as commonwealth or state.¹ Another definition is a group of people identifying themselves as part of a political structure or government or community.² The third meaning is a colony.³

Based on these definitions we can understand that Politeuma refers to the commonwealth or state to which a community or group of people belong. Hence, for Paul, Christians irrespective of time and space, belong to heaven, thus their citizenship is heavenly.

The Amharic Bible renders the term citizenship “አገራችን” (our homeland), a description that focuses on the place where we belong to or ultimately end up in rather than the life that we have at the present time. The KJV (King James Version) tried to carry the nuance of the idea of citizenship in its choice of the term “conversation”, which also means “conduct” or “behavior”, an idea that sums up everything a person is and does. Most modern and revised translations including NKJV (New KJV) have gone with the idea of “citizenship”. I believe they understood that Paul's emphasis is not where believers belong as much as who they are in this world, a people who live by the rules that govern heaven. His primary intention was not to stress that the Philippians will ultimately end up in heaven. He was trying to show them that they belong to a different state or commonwealth and thus need to live in ways that reflect this reality. 

B. Historical connection

Paul does not frequently use the term citizenship in his literatures.⁴ I believe his choice of the word has close ties with the history and status of Philippi and its inhabitants. A century before Paul wrote this epistle, Augustus Caesar had declared Philippi a Roman city.⁵ The city's residents included army veterans, relocated farmers, and of course slaves. The Cesars did not want the veterans to crowd Rome fearing that in cases of turmoil they would rather not deal with a discontented bunch of army retirees. That justifies their relocation to newly incorporated colonies, such as Philippi. Thus, "Philippi was governed as if it was an Italian soil and its administration reflected that of Rome in almost every respect."⁶ The upgrading of Philippi to a Roman city and its residents, if not all, to Roman citizenship brought extensive property rights and tax privileges.⁷

The need for political stability (not to mention the insanity of some of the Caesars) sparked a chain of reaction that led to the introduction of the “imperial cult” – the worship of Rome and Caesar⁸. That was the price the Philippians had to pay to maintain their status. The city practiced the cult as proof of its loyalty to Rome. The hostility the Christians faced stemmed from their refusal to participate in these rituals (Phil 2:28-30)⁹.

In the Book of Acts chapter 16 Luke narrates the genesis of the church of Philippi. He describes Philippi's status as a Roman colony, and the people as citizens of Rome. Their allegiance was to the city of Rome and/or Caesar, who claimed to be the supreme “lord”, “protector”, and “savior” of Rome and what it supposedly represents – the downing of a new era of enlightenment, civility, and order.¹⁰ A mint (coin), that was discovered in Thessaloniki describing Caesar as “god”, is further evidence to the prevalence of imperial cult in those days.¹¹ At any rate, the status of Roman citizenship created a sense of pride, patriotism, and sometimes antisemitism. Yet, Paul, Timothy, Silas and Luke came to this city and introduced a new King named Jesus. This was treasonous, or to be precise, unlawful.¹² Nonetheless, Lidia responded to their message followed by a slave girl, and a prison guard. These early converts who might or might not have been Roman citizens themselves changed their allegiance from Caesar to Jesus when they responded to the proclamation (kerugma) of Paul and his company. Although they were residents of Philippi, and possibly citizens of Rome, they chose to live as though they were a colony of heaven.

C. Implication

The church at Philippi was a heavenly colony and its members were citizens of the heavenly “empire” (kingdom of God).¹³ In the early days of Christian history many understood the call to heavenly life as a call to monasticism and abdication of civil liberties. I do not think Paul had that in mind. Rather his intention was to explain to the Philippians that their hope of heaven (whatever its appearance will be) and the coming Savior should inform their life as Roman citizens. Heaven as a future hope poses no threat to the Caesars of Rome or the authorities of Philippi in so much as it does as a present reality that informs the Christian community's choices and decisions. Paul was not in anyway implying that the Philippians, or any other citizen, should abdicate their privileges or duties as Roman citizens. He was rather saying that they should revisit their priorities in life, and reevaluate their choices to make sure they reflect who they were. They were heavenly citizens living in Philippi and their "Caesar (allow me to use the term), Lord and Savior" comes from heaven. He will bring justice and healing into this broken world. The hope of a coming Savior who would execute justice would make the Christian community treat each other and the outside community justly. This would bring any Christian community into a sharp conflict with the "Caesars" of this world. The Philippians were heavenly citizens. So are we. That is our identity. Whether born or naturalized citizens of any earthly empire, we are a politeuma, a commonwealth, a colony of heaven. When we identify ourselves as such we pose a treat to any Caesar, past or present. 

At this point one might ask “how do people of heaven behave?” 

To be continued . . .

1BDAG (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature).

2Bockmuehl, Markus. The Epistle to the Philippians. Black's New Testament Commentary. Ed. Henry Chadwick. Hendrickson Publishers. 1998. 233. O'Brien, Peter T. The Epistle to the Philippians. A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Ed., I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids: MI: Eerdmans.

3Fee, Gordon D. Paul's Letter to the Philippians. NICNT. Ed. Gordon D. Fee. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1995. 162

4See O'Brien 459.

5Bockmuehl, pp 3-4

6O'Brien 460

7Bockmuehl 4.

8Oakes, Peter. Re-mapping the Universe: Paul and the Emperor in 1 Thessalonians and Philippians. J5NT 27.3 (2005) 7-8

9Ibid 8-10

10 See Acts 17:7-8 Considering the status of Thessaloniki as a Roman colony and its residents' unswerving allegiance to Caesar, the accusation they brought against the original recipients of the gospel indicates the kind of opposition Christians faced. The incident also echoes the charge in Acts 16:20-21.

11Oakes 8

12Phil 16:21

13Fee 162

Kingdom dynamics

The concept of heavenly citizenship

Part 1

Abreham G.

Phil 1: 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves (live, walk, behave as citizens) 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. (the one in parenthesis is my literal translation)

3:17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Paul's letter to the Philippians is an emotional, friendly, and encouraging letter. Reading through the entire Epistle brings us closer to Paul's heart and inner feelings about the gospel.

For a moment, imagine yourself traveling in a time machine back to the days of Paul. Passing through a two milenia of world history, all of a sudden you find yourself in the bustling city of Rome crowded with all sorts of people. 

Few miles from the crowded downtown, Paul is sharing a room with a Roman soldier, who was assigned to keep an eye on him. Often times Paul is chained to this fellow. His privacy is terribly eroded, but he never complains. He considers his house arrest as an opportunity to speak about Jesus. And it happens that many of the royal guards are becoming believers.

As usual Paul was having a conversation with his guard, when Epaphroditus, a fellow believer from Philippi, a city eight hundred miles east of Rome, showed up at the door. I can imagine the excitement of Epaphroditus. He loves Paul. And when the elders of his church looked for a volunteer to travel to Rome to help Paul, he did not blink his eyes. He knows that his journey to Rome is not only to deliver the money his church sent to Paul, but to attend to his needs at every capacity. Shortly after, Timothy arrived from town carrying food lasting for a couple of days.

Epaphroditus has brought some good and some bad news. The good news – the Philippians have continued their fellowship with Paul in the work of the gospel. They have proved themselves to be faithful partners, taking the gospel to every corner of their city. They are experiencing hostility from their neighbors for their newly found faith in a Christ, who, according to the popular culture, was a renegade executed by Pilate in Jerusalem. The bad news – they are being troubled by the infighting, notably between Euodia and Syntyche.

Paul knew that the infighting will tamper with the testimony of the church among the gentiles. God's program for the inhabitants of the city will also be endangered. He still remembers the vision he had in Troas that led to his trip to Philippi. In his second missionary journey, while passing through Asia (modern day Turkey), God's Spirit forbade him to preach the gospel there. He later realized that God was preparing him for a new task in Europe. One night in the coastal town of Troas, Paul had a vision. He saw a man standing on the other side of the Aegean sea calling out for help. This was how the good news of Jesus Christ came into the city of Philippi, the first European city where Paul's mission to Europe was officially launched. How can he forget such a dramatic event?

He wished he were in Philippi. But he can't. What about his chains? He is tied up with the soldier. He wanted to send Timothy, but felt that he needs him in Rome because he does not yet know the outcome of his trial. Finally, after much prayer and reflection, he decided to send Epaphroditus back to Philippi with an emotional, friendly and encouraging letter.

This is how we have got the epistle to the Philippians. Can you imagine what was burning in Paul's heart? He was burdened with God's program of salvation for humanity.

My intention in this and subsequent articles is not to comment on the whole epistle. Rather I prefer to discuss it thematically (theologically). In this I mean focusing on the didactic (teaching) contribution of of the letter. We will ask ourselves this question, “how does Paul's letter to the Philippians reveal God to us?” I would leave it for you to find out. But I want to make a minor contribution in your quest for a fuller understanding of God's revelation in the epistle.

The theme I chose for this article is “the concept of heavenly citizenship”. This theme comes from Phil 1:27 and 3:17, two verses where Paul explicitly speaks about heavenly citizenship. Heavenly citizenship is a concept that relates to both our identity and activity as God's people. The two are interrelated. Our identity informs our activity, and our activity reveals our identity.

To be continued . . .

Kingdom dynamics

The parables of the seed and the weed

Mt 13:1-30 and 36-43

Abreham G. Bedasso

INTRODUCTION

Definition and description

God's kingdom means God's rule or reign. It is about God's will finding fulfillment in the world. It is about God's ruling (his saving, redeeming and restoring) activity affecting the way we live. It is about God making everything right by punishing evil, and restoring justice in the world.

God's rule extends over everything and over every realm in the universe. God does not only rule in the heart. The notion that God's kingdom rules only in the human heart does not paint the whole picture. God reigns over every human affair whether spiritual, social, political, cultural, or economical. There is nothing in the entire universe that God does not rule.

Key concepts

1. The parables are analogies of the dynamics of God's kingdom. They illustrate how God's kingdom operates at the moment. They were taken from ordinary life experience of first century Jews in Israel.
2. God's kingdom is political in nature. The Book of Daniel makes it explicit. God's rule extends over everything. However it operates in different phases.
3. God's people are endowed with the privilege of understanding the mystery of God's kingdom. As a mystery it is hidden from plain sight and needs to be sought after. In Jesus days, even now, many failed to comprehend it.

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

A brief historical observation highlights that among first century Jews there were different sects who understood God's rule in different ways.

The Sadducees, an elite class of priests and officials who controlled the temple and its activities, understood that God's rule was expressed through the presence of the temple. They were well- off in this life and thus did not want the people to hope for a kingdom and a king that would make everything right.

The Pharisees, a majority group, who claim to be purists, emphasized the reading, studying and observing of the Torah (the teachings or instructions of Moses). They believed that God's rule finds expression and fulfillment as people observe the Torah.

The Zealots believed that God's kingdom can only be set up when the land is rid of all foreign elements including the Romans. They wanted to set up God's rule through military action.

The Essenes, lived in isolation along the southern part of Israel in a fortress called Masada. They lived in community, and shared their means. They believed that they were the sons of light and that God was ruling among them. They prepared themselves for the final battle between the children of light and of darkness.

A RADICAL MESSAGE AND MESSENGER

Now came along the sea of Galilee a young Jew named Jesus who was preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand, and was even among the people (Luke 17:21). In light of the circumstances, for the Jews, Jesus' kingdom message and claims were radical. So the question is, in what way did God rule? Through the presence and activity of Jesus, the king. At the center of his activity was the preaching of the gospel, the powerful and dynamic instrument of God's rule.

Jesus taught that God's kingdom was in their midst and that his followers were to live as though they were in the kingdom. He declared that he is bringing good news to all people that God's rule has downed. He sent his disciples among the children of Israel to announce the news (Mt 10). His message and messengers were rejected. He condemned the impenitent cities (Mt 11). His authority and method was challenged (Mt 12). Hence in Mt 13 Jesus shows how God's kingdom operates in the world at the moment. There are many parables in the chapter yet the dominant parable that we find among the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) is the parable of the seed (Mt 13:1-30, Mk 4:1-20 and Lk 8:4-15).

1. The parable of the seed – the gospel/God's word is God's seed in our lives.

God's kingdom is in God's word. In other words, God's word is God's kingdom in a receivable form. God's kingdom can be delivered and be received. How? Through the word. The creation account of Genesis 1 reveals that God made everything through his word. There was nothing except God. He created everything out of himself through the medium of his spoken word. God's word is God's seed. The word seed in the Greek New Testament is “to sperma” out of which we have the English equivalent of sperm or seed. God's word is not a religious opinion. It is not an alternative explanation of reality. It is God's power, energy, and substance that accomplishes everything he wants. Hence acceptance of God's word is acceptance of God's kingdom. On the other hand, rejecting God's word is rejecting God's kingdom. Wherever God's word finds root, we see God's kingdom in action. Therefore, let's welcome God's word as the only alternative we have of experiencing God's rule on earth at the moment.

2. The parable of the weeds – the disciples are God's seed in the world.

In the previous parable the ground on which the seed is sown was the heart of the hearers. In this parable however, the ground is the world itself and the seeds (to sperma) are the disciples of Christ.

The ground belongs to God. The world and everything in it is God's work. The idea of God ruling here on earth seems obsolete. The truth is, God in Christ will restore the world to himself. He won't leave it to rot in sin and destruction. How does God accomplish that at the moment? Through the good seed, the righteous seed, the God fearing seed.

Naturally, weeds cannot become good seeds, and the reverse is true as well. Nonetheless, in God's kingdom weeds can change into good seeds through the gospel. That is what kingdom dynamics is about. The church seems to lose this simple truth and mar herself in the struggle for power and influence. The lesson of history is filled with instances of atrocities committed in the name of spreading or defending God's kingdom. Christian folks tried to uproot the weeds through violence. The gospel is a powerful instrument, more powerful than any weapon we can imagine.

CONCLUSION

A people who receive God's seed in their heart need to show forth its power in the world. Let us be faithful to our call and stick to our mission. Let us saturate our homes, churches, and communities with God's word. Let us live like the good seeds of the kingdom.

“for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.” Isa 11:9