Church Series-The Heavenly Citizenship of the Church
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday November 2, 2016
The Church Series: The Heavenly Citizenship of the Church
Lesson # 11
In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul teaches the Philippian church that they and all church age believers are citizens of heaven.
Paul was addressing Roman citizens regarding their spiritual citizenship in heaven.
To teach this, Paul employs the verb politeuomai in Philippians 1:27 and the noun politeuma in Philippians 3:20 which are terms the Philippian believers would be familiar with since Philippi was a Roman politeuma.
This citizenship is also alluded to in Ephesians 2:19 and Hebrews 11:14-16.
Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves (politeuomai) in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. (NASB95)
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship (politeuma) is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
From the time of the third century B.C. politeuma meant “citizenship” and was frequently used to designate a corporate body of citizens, a colony of foreigners who are residents in a foreign city while their citizenship and allegiance is elsewhere.
Politeuomai means “to be a citizen, to live as a citizen, to act as a citizen by taking part in political life, to show public spirit, to administer the state.”
The verb politeuomai means “to conduct oneself with proper reference to one’s obligations in relationship to others, as part of some community, thus to live, to conduct one’s life, to live in relation to others.”
It means “to behave as a citizen; to avail one’s self of or recognize the laws, to conduct one’s self as pledged to some law of life.”
Politeuma was “having the status to live in a foreign country but to have the status, the rights, and the privileges of the citizenship of your home country.”
During the Hellenistic period, politeuma was used for citizens living in a foreign country in a colony who retained their national citizenship and political privileges pertaining to that citizenship.
Alexander the Great had a policy of interfusion and mixture of the races he conquered and this resulted in the loss of national identity apart from what Alexander called politeuma.
So, it came down to Roman times through Alexander, therefore the Jews from Alexanderia for example were called politeuma by Josephus and Arian Dydimus of Alexandria, the famous Stoic philosopher.
In Crete, district of Arseno (sister of Cleopatra) there was a Roman colony called politeuma.
Idomeans living in Memphis in Egypt had politeuma.
These politeumati are not private associations but they were publicly recognized national groups living away from home and under the laws, rights and privileges of the mother country.
The Romans took this from the Greeks and called it civitas which was the same principle Cleisthenes had invented some 600 or 700 years before.
Politeuma spoke of the rights, the privileges in the status of citizenship of a free state and was a corporate body of citizen’s resident in a foreign country but under the laws of their homeland.
The Philippians were Roman citizens so Paul use of these terms were a part of their frame of reference.
They would be able to identify with citizenship since the Philippians greatly valued their Roman citizenship.
The citizens of Philippi received Roman citizenship because Philippi was the site of the pivotal battle to determine the future of the Roman Empire.
The first battle of Philippi took place on October 24, 42 B.C.
The cause of the republic was led by Brutus and Cassius and they were opposed by Octavian and Antony.
Army of Octavian and Antony numbered: (1) 85,000 infantry. (2) 13,000 cavalry. Army of Brutus and Cassius numbered: (1) 80,000 infantry. (2) 20,000 cavalry.
This famous battle proved that Octavian was not a good general and Brutus was the best general in the army of the Assassins.
Brutus did a smart thing at dawn and attacked the camp of Octavius and almost wiped him out.
Octavius actually fled to the ruins of Philippi.
Marc Antony not knowing about this in the meantime attacked Cassius and wiped him out.
Cassius fled with part of his army and then he turned and attacked the camp of Brutus.
Brutus upon hearing that his camp had been attacked by Marc Antony thought all was over, and stood near the ruins of Philippi and committed suicide and therefore the battle was called a draw.
Both armies soon regrouped and on November 16, the positions of the armies remained the same.
This time Antony attacked through a swamp performing a very famous single envelopment on the left bank of Brutus.
Octavian’s core acted as the pivot since Octavius was not a good soldier.
In the battle south of Philippi, Marc Antony with his famous march through the swamps routed the Republican army under Brutus.
Brutus managed to escape through parts of four regions but he decided it wasn’t worth it and he committed suicide.
Philippi therefore became a Roman politeuma and in honor of this victory Philippi was made a Roman colony and was named by Octavian Colonia Victrix Philippensium.
Octavian gave the town its notable title of Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensius, which appeared on coins.
Philippi became a Roman colony primarily composed therefore of the victorious veterans of the Civil War for many who fought in the battles of Philippi received as rewards after retirement the land around Philippi.
Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. (NASB95)
“Conduct yourselves” is the second person plural present middle imperative form of the verb politeuomai (πολιτεύομαι), which means “to conduct one’s life according to the privilege and responsibility as a citizen of heaven.”
It means “to have one’s citizenship, to have one’s home, to lead one’s life according to privilege.”
It means to conduct oneself according to the privileges and responsibilities as a citizen of heaven which is worthy of the gospel of Christ.
It means to behave in a manner which is in accordance to the privileges and responsibilities as a citizen of heaven.
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
“Citizenship” is the noun politeuma (πολίτευμα), which denotes the status of being a citizen and the concept of possessing the privileges and responsibility of a citizen of your homeland although living in a foreign land.
By employing this word politeuma here in Philippians 3:20, Paul is contrasting the Christian attitude and lifestyle here with that of “the enemies of the cross of the Christ” in Philippians 3:18-19.
The church is actually a “colony of heaven” since heaven is the source of the church age believer’s politeuma and what is literal for the Roman citizens of Philippi is even more literal for the church age believers today as members of the royal family of God.
The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ became a citizen of heaven at the moment of conversion through faith alone in Christ alone which results in regeneration and the baptism of the Spirit.
Therefore, they did not have to pay for this citizenship since they received it simply by making the non-meritorious decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This word politeuma also conveys the fact of the church age believer’s position in Christ is a result of the baptism of the Spirit where the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit placed the believer in union with Christ at the moment of conversion.
Paul is saying that the Philippians and himself possess the status of a citizen of heaven from eternity past under election and that they are people given great privilege and as a result, great responsibility.
The Christian is positionally a citizen of heaven because of the baptism of the Spirit and in fact it originates from eternity past under the doctrine of election.
He is stating here by using this word politeuma that they should live in a manner that is in agreement with their status and position as a citizen of heaven.
Their conduct should agree with their position or status as citizens of heaven, sons of God.
