Here Paul’s attention shifts from preliminary matters and his own situation to what is happening on the ground in Philippi. Internal tension and external opposition threaten the church. In the face of those realities, Paul’s call is clear — they are to live as faithful citizens of heaven, even as they live as Roman citizens in Philippi. It’s their heavenly citizenship that is to shape their lives, both in regards to their relationships with one another and in how they respond to the opposition of those in their city who are aligned against them. Even their suffering will prove to be evidence of their salvation — that they belong to Christ.
