In this chapter I will examine the biblical texts relating to ancient Philippi, in view of the Roman cultural values and social codes that have served as the focus of the earlier portions of this book. I discuss here Paul's ministry in the colony, as narrated in the book of Acts, and also look at select passages in the letter to the Philippians, where Paul intentionally draws upon issues of status and honor for rhetorical effect. The chapter which follows (chapter six) is reserved for an exposition of the great Christological passage Philippians 2:6–11, which presents Jesus as descending a cursus pudorum and ultimately receiving the highest of honors for approaching his status and power in a radically countercultural way.

The Philippian narrative in Acts

The general thrust of the first four chapters of this monograph could be fairly summarized in two simple propositions: (1) Rome was the most status-conscious society in the ancient Mediterranean world, and (2) based on the evidence at hand, no settlement in the East was more Roman, in this regard, than Philippi. The narrative of Paul's ministry in Philippi in Acts 16 underscores the validity of these assertions, portraying the colony as a markedly Roman settlement boasting a population preoccupied with issues of status, honorific office, and citizenship.