Hearing this statement would have immediately fired off bells for the Philippians he was writing to. The city of Philippi was not a part of the empire—it was a Roman colony. Unlike those in neighboring cities in the region of Macedonia, those who lived in Philippi enjoyed Roman citizenship, which was a really big deal. The majority of those in Philippi had never set foot in Rome, but they were under its protection and its privileges. In the annals of Rome their names were recorded. Though they were far from Rome, it was technically their home. They lived in Philippi, but their citizenship was
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