The Scriptural scholar Kathryn Sullivan,R.S.C., sums up the importance of Philippians: “It is …valued because it contains a picture of the spiritual life of the early Christians. It shows how truly Christ is their centre, their inspiration, their source of strength. The charity that comes from the Heart of Christ not only draws them into the life of the triune God but also unites them to one another and to St. Paul. In the light of that love he gives them news about himself, corrects abuses and encourages to live more intimately united with their Lord.” It is a letter for our day, too.

Philippi, named after Philip of Macedon who captured it in 360 B.C., was one of the most important cities of Macedonia. The Philippians were the first European converts made by St. Paul who visited them about 50 A.D. is described in the Acts of the Apostles (16:11-40). On that occasion, he was delivered miraculously from prison. It is now thought that most likely he was imprisoned in Ephesus. He made two other visits to Philippi in the years 57 and 58 Paul wrote the epistle about the year 56 or 57 while he was in prison. Part of the reason for the letter was to thank the Philippians for the collection they sent him when they heard of his imprisonment.

The Hymn to Christ (2:6-11), “set like a jewel in this epistle “is a proof of the early Church believing in the divine pre-existence of Jesus. The hymn begins: “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

                   Paul took the occasion to warn the Philippians against what he calls the ad workmen” who were ruining his work. These men were spreading erroneous doctrine and attacking Paul’s reputation. He is afraid that they will visit the Philippians and undo what he has accomplished in setting up the faith. Again a situation not unlike our own day. Paul stresses the need for unity based on true humility and submission to truth and legitimate authority.

St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians also was written from prison. But this letter was not written from prison. This letter was not written at Ephesus but at Rome between the years 61 and 63.

It was addressed to the faithful in the city of Colossae in Asia Minor about one hundred and ten miles east of Ephesus on the Lycus River. Paul, it seems, had never visited Colossae. The Church there had been founded by Epaphras, a friend of Paul who follower Paul’s advice in the development of the Church. The community was composed of Gentiles though it may have included some Jewish Christians.

When St. Paul heard from Epaphras, who was in Rome, about the current teaching in Colossae   he decided that a letter was needed. The danger was due to basically Jewish speculations about the celestial and cosmic powers. Many Jews held that angels were the guardians of the Old Law and would destroy those who did not honor them and what they represented. The world was filled with angels and demons who presided over all the forces of nature and the fate of nations. Acceptance of such doctrine would mean a submission to the requirements of the Old Law and a rejection of the New Law established by Christ and preached by Paul and the other apostles.

Paul presented his argument that the Colossians, having been freed from the Law with all its demands about feasts, fasts, and circumcision, were also freed from their servitude to these spirits. He never declares explicitly whether these spirits are good or bad, angelic or demonic. Perhaps we can sum up his argument in the following verse: “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?”(2:20).

St. Paul sent the letter with Tychicus who also was the bearer of another letter believed to be the one known as Ephesians. The fugutive slave, Onesimus, accompanied Tychicus bringing with him the letter to Philemon, his master and a prominent Christian in Colossae.