\u00dea\u00f0 er h\u00e6gt a\u00f0 hneppa erindreka Gu\u00f0s \u00ed fangelsi. En sannleikurinn um Krist ver\u00f0ur ekki byrg\u00f0ur inni. Lestu Br\u00e9f P\u00e1ls til Filipp\u00edmanna og sj\u00e1\u00f0u hvernig postulinn h\u00e9lt hugrekki s\u00ednu \u00f3skertu \u00fer\u00e1tt fyrir mikinn andbyr.<\/p>\n
\u00deegar P\u00e1ll postuli skrifa\u00f0i j\u00e1tendum Krists \u00ed Filipp\u00ed \u00feetta br\u00e9f, sat hann \u00ed fangelsi, en ekki er vita\u00f0 hvar. \u00de\u00f3tt hann hef\u00f0i sj\u00e1lfur storminn mj\u00f6g \u00ed fangi\u00f0 um \u00feessar mundir vildi P\u00e1ll ekki l\u00e1ta undir h\u00f6fu\u00f0 leggjast a\u00f0 minna Filipp\u00edmenn \u00e1 a\u00f0 vera tr\u00fair \u00fev\u00ed fagna\u00f0arerindi um Krist, sem hann haf\u00f0i bo\u00f0a\u00f0 \u00feeim fyrstur manna (Post 16.12-40; Fil 4.15-17). Hann segir Filipp\u00edm\u00f6nnum a\u00f0 vel kunni a\u00f0 vera a\u00f0 \u00feeir \u00feurfi a\u00f0 l\u00ed\u00f0a \u00fej\u00e1ningar, alveg eins og hann sj\u00e1lfur a\u00f0 s\u00ednu leyti (1.30; 2.17,18), en \u00feeir skuli ekki \u00f3ttast neinar h\u00f6rmungar, heldur hafa \u00ed huga, a\u00f0 „allt megna \u00e9g fyrir hj\u00e1lp hans sem mig styrkan gerir“ (4.13). Ekki \u00fearf a\u00f0 undra, a\u00f0 tr\u00faarstyrkur P\u00e1ls \u00ed \u00feessum stutta pistli hefur um allar aldir og allt fram \u00e1 \u00feennan dag or\u00f0i\u00f0 kristnum m\u00f6nnum til mikillar hugsv\u00f6lunar og upp\u00f6rvunar.<\/p>\n
\u00cd br\u00e9fi s\u00ednu \u00feakkar P\u00e1l Filipp\u00edm\u00f6nnum fyrir a\u00f0 hafa stutt sig me\u00f0 gj\u00f6fum og fyrirb\u00e6num (1.5; 4.10-19) og segir \u00feeim \u00fea\u00f0 sem \u00e1 daga hans hefur drifi\u00f0 s\u00ed\u00f0an hann var tekinn h\u00f6ndum og hnepptur \u00ed var\u00f0hald R\u00f3mverja. En hann gengur \u00feess ekki dulinn, a\u00f0 l\u00e6risveinar Krists \u00ed Filipp\u00ed, me\u00f0limir safna\u00f0arins sem hann kom sj\u00e1lfur \u00e1 f\u00f3t nokkur fyrr, eiga vi\u00f0 vandkv\u00e6\u00f0i a\u00f0 etja. \u00deeir deila um \u00fea\u00f0, hvort n\u00fdjum j\u00e1tendum Krists beri a\u00f0 hl\u00fd\u00f0a l\u00f6gm\u00e1li M\u00f3se \u2013 e\u00f0a ekki.<\/p>\n
H\u00f6fundur Postulas\u00f6gunnar skrifar, a\u00f0 Filipp\u00ed hafi veri\u00f0 fyrsti \u00e1fangasta\u00f0ur P\u00e1ls, \u00feegar hann sigldi fr\u00e1 Litlu-As\u00edu til Su\u00f0austur-Evr\u00f3pu (Post 16.11,12). \u00deetta litla sveita\u00feorp var sta\u00f0ur verslunar og herflutninga vi\u00f0 austurm\u00f6rk Egnat\u00edu-vegarins svokalla\u00f0a, fr\u00e6grar \u00fej\u00f3\u00f0brautar sem R\u00f3mverjar l\u00f6g\u00f0u um helstu borgir Maked\u00f3n\u00edu \u00e1 milli Adr\u00edahafsins \u00ed vestri og Eyjahafsins \u00ed austri. \u00dea\u00f0 var nefnt eftir Filippusi II. Maked\u00f3n\u00edukonungi, f\u00f6\u00f0ur Alexanders mikla. Filippus v\u00edggirti sta\u00f0inn \u00e1 4. \u00f6ld f. Kr. og ger\u00f0i a\u00f0 h\u00f6fu\u00f0borg konungsr\u00edkis s\u00edns, en \u00fea\u00f0 f\u00f3r s\u00edfellt st\u00e6kkandi.<\/p>\n
Br\u00e9f P\u00e1ls til Filipp\u00edmanna er eitt fj\u00f6gurra „fangelsisbr\u00e9fa“ hans, sem svo eru k\u00f6llu\u00f0, \u00fev\u00ed tali\u00f0 er a\u00f0 hann hafi veri\u00f0 „\u00ed fj\u00f6trum“ \u00feegar hann rita\u00f0i \u00feau. Hin eru Efesusbr\u00e9fi\u00f0, K\u00f3lossubr\u00e9fi\u00f0 og F\u00edlemonsbr\u00e9fi\u00f0. Ekki er vita\u00f0 me\u00f0 vissu, hvar P\u00e1ll var hnepptur \u00ed var\u00f0hald, e\u00f0a hve oft. \u00de\u00f3 greinir Postulasagan fr\u00e1 \u00fev\u00ed, a\u00f0 honum hafi veri\u00f0 varpa\u00f0 \u00ed d\u00fdflissu \u00ed Efesus (Post 19.1-21) og Sesareu (Post 24.24-26.32) og ennfremur, a\u00f0 hann hafi seti\u00f0 \u00ed stofufangelsi \u00ed R\u00f3m (Post 28.11-30). Vera m\u00e1, a\u00f0 P\u00e1ll hafi veri\u00f0 staddur \u00ed einni \u00feessara borga \u00feegar hann skrifa\u00f0i Filipp\u00edbr\u00e9fi\u00f0, e\u00f0a \u00fe\u00e1 \u00ed einhverri borg vi\u00f0 Mi\u00f0jar\u00f0arhafi\u00f0 austanvert, \u00fear sem var r\u00f3mverskt setuli\u00f0 (1.13).<\/p>\n
P\u00e1ll byrjar br\u00e9fi\u00f0 \u00e1 postullegri heilsun, bygg\u00f0ri \u00e1 hef\u00f0bundnu upphafi sendibr\u00e9fs hj\u00e1 Grikkjum, og l\u00fdkur \u00fev\u00ed me\u00f0 kve\u00f0jum j\u00e1tanda Krists (4.21-23). S\u00ed\u00f0an er Gu\u00f0i \u00feakka\u00f0 fyrir lesendurna og be\u00f0i\u00f0 fyrir \u00feeim, eins og P\u00e1ls var si\u00f0ur \u00ed flestum br\u00e9fa sinna. \u00de\u00e1 segir hann Filipp\u00edm\u00f6nnum t\u00ed\u00f0indi af s\u00e9r sj\u00e1lfum, upp\u00f6rvar \u00fe\u00e1 og gefur \u00feeim heilr\u00e6\u00f0i og loks \u00feakkar hann \u00feeim fyrir hj\u00e1lpina \u00e1 li\u00f0inni t\u00ed\u00f0. Efnisyfirlit br\u00e9fsins er a\u00f0 \u00f6\u00f0ru leyti svofellt:<\/p>\n