Who is Lord?

Above are the hugely impressive remains of ancient Philippi. They are a powerful testimony to the scale of this city at the time of Paul's visit. It was a big city of around 60,000 people the visited around 50AD.

Around the site we saw a number of inscriptions in Latin; they served as a reminder that while this city is in Greece, it was culturally Roman. It had been resettled by the Roman Emperor Octavian with army veterans who had fought on his side in the Battle of Philippi in 42BC; indeed, some called it 'little Rome'.

And, being a Roman city, no was would have been doubt who was in ultimate charge. Through statues and coins, cults and traditions, it was manifest to all that Caesar was in charge. As the saying went: 'Caesar is Lord'.

The apostle Paul's message, therefore, was radical in the extreme. While a Roman citizen himself he reminded the Philippian church he had planted that only one person deserved the title Lord. That was the person who had shown his strength in humility, even offering his life for others. And God raised this person Jesus so that 'at the name of Jesus every name should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father' (Philippians 2:10)

We sang At The Name of Jesus in the place where Paul had proclaimed not 'Caesar is Lord' but 'Jesus is Lord'.

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