ENCOUNTER YOUTH
About Philippians & Ephesians
Two letters from Paul, both written while he was a prisoner.
WEEKS 1 TO 4
Philippians
A thank-you letter full of joy, written from prison.
- Who wrote it
- Paul, with Timothy.
- When
- About AD 60 to 62, while Paul was a prisoner, probably in Rome.
- Who it was for
- The church in Philippi, a Roman city in what is now Greece. It was the first church Paul started in Europe (Acts 16).
- Why
- The Philippians had sent Paul a gift. He writes to thank them, to tell them how he is, and to encourage them to stay united.
Look for
- The words “joy” and “rejoice”. They come up about 16 times in four short chapters.
- Chapter 2:5-11, a song about Jesus making himself nothing.
- How Paul can be content in any situation (chapter 4).
WEEKS 5 TO 10
Ephesians
What God has done for us, and how to live because of it.
- Who wrote it
- Paul.
- When
- About the same time as Philippians, also from prison.
- Who it was for
- Christians in Ephesus, a busy port city in what is now Turkey. Paul had lived there for about three years (Acts 19).
- How it is laid out
- Chapters 1 to 3 are about what God has done for us in Christ. Chapters 4 to 6 are about how to live because of it.
Look for
- The words “in Christ” and “in him”.
- Chapter 2:8-9: saved by grace, not by what we do.
- The armor of God (chapter 6).