“腓立比”这个词是什么意思？
这是一个城市的名字，是处于今天希腊北部的一个地方。在新约时代，它是罗马帝国的一部分，位于马其顿省。
今天的老城是一个考古遗址，2016年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产。附近有一个现代的小村，还有人在此居住，小村称为Filippoi（Φίλιπποι，希腊语发音几乎相同），人口谨为 一万多人。
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippi#/media/File:Philippi_city_center.jpg |
当我们进行单词搜索时(“腓立比”，原文编号：G5375)，我们找到更多与腓立比相关的经文，首次是在使徒行传 16:12-40，还有徒20:6，记录了保罗曾多次到访腓立比城，看到圣经给出了保罗与腓立比人的关系的背后故事。
因此，为了更全面地了解，我们的学习不是从腓立比书开始，而是从使徒行传开始。
据徒16章，保罗当时是在他的第二次宣教旅程。
这次旅行的主要原因之一是传递耶路撒冷会议的信。
“使徒和作长老的弟兄们问安提阿、叙利亚、基利家外邦众弟兄的安。
我们听说，有几个人从我们这里出去，用言语搅扰你们，惑乱你们的心。其实我们并没有吩咐他们。 所以，我们同心定意，拣选几个人，差他们同我们所亲爱的巴拿巴和保罗往你们那里去。这二人是为我主耶稣基督的名不顾性命的。
我们就差了犹大和西拉，他们也要亲口诉说这些事。因为圣灵和我们定意不将别的重担放在你们身上；惟有几件事是不可少的，就是禁戒祭偶像的物和血，并勒死的牲畜和奸淫。这几件你们若能自己禁戒不犯就好了。愿你们平安！” (徒15:23-40)
耶路撒冷会议的决议方案
这是耶路撒冷教会在外邦人归向神的问题上得出的决议方案，决定外邦人是否必须遵守摩西的律法和割礼的仪式。
经过多次讨论，他们得出结论，摩西律法是传给犹太人祖先，是为犹太人的，外邦人不必遵守，除了以下四项：
- 禁食祭偶像的食物，
- 禁戒血（即吃血），
- 禁戒被勒死的东西（即食用肉应适当屠宰），
- 禁戒淫乱。
这消除了犹太信徒之间的争论，并为外邦信徒提供了明确的指导。
这为外邦人打开了传福音和归向神的大门。大多数旧约条例（包括割礼）不适用于他们。这确实将注意力集中在属灵方面而不是身体上。诸多“应该做”和“不该做”事项，无疑是人们的一个个难关。
谁愿意学习并遵守犹太人的 613 条诫命？
当外邦人转向唯一的真神时，他们显然不必犹太化。
What is the word "Philippi"?
It was the name of a city, a place in today's Northern Greece. In the days of the New Testament, it was a part of the Roman Empire, in the province of Macedonia.
The Old City today is an archaeological site, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. There is a small modern village nearby, which is still inhabited. The village is called Filippoi (Φίλιπποι, the Greek pronunciation is almost the same), with a population of more than 10,000 people.
When we do a word search (on "Philippi", or Strong's Number: G5375), We see that the Bible gives the story of Paul's relationship with the people of Philippi, mainly in Acts 16:12-40, which recorded Paul's visit to the City of Philippi.
Therefore, in order to gain a fuller picture, we shall begin our study not from the book of Philippians, but from the Book of Acts.
Paul was on his Second Missionary Journey.
One of the main reasons for this journey was to deliver the Letter from the Jerusalem Council. The following is from Lexham English Bible:
"Greetings!
Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us—to whom we gave no orders—and have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your minds, it seemed best to us, having reached a unanimous decision, and having chosen men, to send them to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things: that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these things you will do well. Farewell."
(LEB Acts15:23c-29).
The solution from the Jerusalem Council
This is the solution that the Jerusalem Church concluded on the issue that sprang from the conversion of the Gentiles, whether they had to keep the law of Moses and the rite of circumcision or not.
After much discussion, they reached the conclusion that the law of Moses was given to their forefathers for the Jews, the Gentiles did not have to comply with it, except for the following 4 items:
- abstain from food sacrificed to idols,
- abstain from blood (i.e. eating blood),
- abstain from what has been strangled (i.e.meat for food should be properly slaughtered),
- abstain from sexual immorality.
This removed the controversial argument among the Jewish believers and provide clear instruction for the Gentile believers.
This opened the door of evangelism and conversion for the Gentiles. Most of the Old Testament regulations (including circumcision) would not apply to them. This really focuses the attention on the spiritual aspects instead of the physical ones. The many dos and don'ts were no doubt a huddle for people.
Who wants to learn and keep the 613 commandments of the Jews? The Gentiles CLEARLY did not have to become Judaized when they turned to the Only True God.
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