Citizens of Heaven

<p>CITIZENS OF HEAVEN When Paul wrote to the church in Philippi they had been living under Roman rule for a couple of generations. They had a proud cultural and philosophical heritage and a fierce sense of citizenship going back to the first Greek culture in Athens five centuries before which was the first ever democracy, and all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote. They had a proud cultural and philosophical heritage that aspired for excellence in diverse areas of life. The two prominent ideological philosophies were the Stoics and the Epicureans.  The Stoics cared about virtuous behaviour and living according to principles of discipline, while Epicureans were connoisseurs of good food and good wine and cared about avoiding pain and seeking comfort and pleasure.</p> <p>Philippi was the most significant Roman colony in Europe, the gateway city that joined Europe to the Middle East, and it was the first European city where Paul preached the gospel and established a church. It was also the place where in March 44bc the senators of Rome under Brutus and Cassius assassinated Julius Caesar to try and preserve the Roman Republic. They killed Caesar but the new idea of a republic also died and went nowhere. It has been called ‘The suicide of a Republic’. Paul was a Greek scholar and understood their philosophy and culture and their politics and he was mindful of the importance of the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, being himself a Roman citizen. He had heard that dissension had come amongst the church at Philippi and he writes to them to appeal to their better selves to live at one with each other. So when he writes to them he focusses on the whole citizenship issue and powerfully points them to their ultimate Citizenship, their newly won Citizenship of Heaven. </p> <p>Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, Our way of life reflects the atmosphere of heaven, where we live in constant hope and expectation of the supernatural redeeming work of Jesus, 21. Who will finally tak