In the context of our study of the mandate for believer's prayer in the PPOG. . Phil 4:6; 1Thes 5:17;

We will now consider Paul's prayer for the spiritual growth of believers recorded in Phil 1:9-11;

Philippi was a Roman colony, populated primarily by discharged Roman soldiers who had been loyal to Emperor Octavian and veterans of Marc Antony's army who had been forced to leave Italy when Augustus Caesar defeated him.

Children born in Phiippi were Roman Citizens by birth because it had been given the "ius italicum" the highest honor Rome conveyed on a provincial city.

Definition of "ius Italicaum" from Wikipedia.org

ius Italicum --(Latin, Italian or Italic law) was an honour conferred on particular cities of the Roman Empire by the emperors It did not describe any status of citizenship, but granted to communities outside Italy the legal fiction that it was on Italian soil. This meant that it was governed under Roman rather than local or Hellenistic law, had a greater degree of autonomy in their relations with provincial governors, all those born in the city automatically gained Roman Citizenship and the city's land was exempt from certain taxes.

Just as the citizens of Rome, the citizens of Philippi could buy and sell property, were exempt from land tax and the poll tax and were entitled to protection by Roman law.

(Paul was born a Roman Citizen Acts 22:28; because he was born in Tarsus which had received "ius Italicum" under the rule of Augustus. )

Philippi was one of the few cities Paul visited which did not have a Jewish synagogue.
Paul established a small local assembly there in the home of Lydia the first believer in Europe.

His visit to the city ended when he was freed from prison by an earthquake but did not leave, which gave him the opportunity to witness to the Philippian jailer, declare his Roman Citizenship, and be escorted out of jail by the magistrates . Acts 16:1-40;

From the Dictionary of Paul and his Letters

"The conclusion of Paul’s imprisonment at Philippi Acts 16:19-40; is a textbook example of the benefits of the status of Roman citizens when they were abroad. The duoviri (“the magistrates”) and their police no doubt assumed that Paul and Silas were Jews involved in a controversy with other Jews about their religion.



They did not for a moment entertain the idea that Paul was a Roman citizen , and so they treated him as they would any religious zealot who was causing a civil disturbance. Their concern was the disturbance he had created, not about the existence of the cult or its laws and practices.



The duoviri joined with the police in seizing Paul and Silas, disrobing and beating them on the spot and throwing them in prison. But after an overnight stay in jail, with the threat of riot past, they ordered them released from prison. Paul did not claim Roman citizenship until the police came to set them free and offer them safe departure from the city in secret.



Only then, when Paul complained about the beating he had received despite his Roman citizenship, did the magistrates become greatly distressed. They were all the more eager to escort him from their city without further trouble Acts 16:39;



The text strongly—if not certainly—suggests that the duoviri (magistrates) themselves came to beg Paul and Silas to leave. The issue was resolved without recourse to the courts, but Paul’s status as a Roman citizen was obviously of great importance and concern to the magistrates, to Luke and to Paul himself."


When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was in Rome, awaiting trial. Paul encouraged his friends in Philippi not to be fearful for him, but to rejoice with him that his imprisonment actually was furthering the spread of the gospel.

In his prayer Paul prays that the believers there would be characterized by an ever increasing and discriminating love, and become all they could be in Christ.


Phil 1:9; In fact, I pray this, that your virtue-love may excel to the maximum still more and more by means of metabolized doctrine resulting in all spiritual discernment,



Paul's prayer was for them to have Abounding Love: the word translated abound is (περισσεύω perisseuo ) which means to be or to exist in abundance, with the implication of being considerably more than what would be expected and was overflowing.



In Phil 4:12;the present active infinitive of ( περισσεύω perisseuo) is translated prosperity which means to have abundant and overflowing provision, to be affluent.


This abounding,abundant, overflowing, affluent love that he is praying for them to have is their love for God which will inevitably be expressed towards each other and ultimately toward all mankind as they receive capacity from God through their PMA of Bible Doctrine.

God is Love 1John 4:8b; and Gods's love is infinite and when believers have personal love for God (PSD #6) that love will always result in integrity love for all mankind (PSD #7). 1John 4:19;

God’s love is immutable, it does not change or increase or decrease like human love because it is based in his own integrity. Because God is holy and unchangeable, his love cannot be compromised. Mal 3:6; James 1:17;

Virtue-love is confidence from personal love for God and impersonal love toward man in spiritual adulthood. Virtue-love is not only a problem-solving device used to pass momentum testing, but at the same time, it is also the basis for the believer's maximum effectiveness in prayer

Paul's prayer was for them to also have Intelligent love; Paul's desire for them is that their integrity love be based in complete understanding and a real complete accurate knowledge of Bible Doctrine. The word translated "real knowledge is the often used Greek word (ἐπίγνωσις epignosis )

His desire is not for them to have an emotional sentimentality that often passes for "love" in the kosmos which attempts to embrace everyone and everything.

Wisdom and spiritual understanding are characteristics of believers in spiritual self-esteem and spiritual autonomy.

Bible doctrine is the thinking or mind of Christ, 1Co 2:16; therefore, divine love is rooted in all knowledge.

Kenneth Wuest - in his Word Studies, Volume Two says of this:
“ that your love yet more and more may overflow, but at the same time be kept within the guiding limitations of an accurate knowledge of God’s word.”

The idea is that the love is overflowing but not outside the boundries of accurate knowledge from Bible Doctrine. Like a river which is completely full but not flooding over it's banks and thereby causing harm.

God's love is infinite but at the same time it is controlled by his rightousness and justice.

God loves the world so much that he gave his uniquely born son in order to provide for the salvation of all of the people in the world. John 3:16, but the people have to believe in TLJC to be saved. Acts 16:30-31;

God's infinite overflowing love provided the solution, but Justice has to be satisfied thereby keeping overflowing love inbounds and maintaining God's perfect integrity.

Paul also prayed that they have Discerning Love: the word translated discernment is ( αἴσθησις [aisthesis ) which is an act of wisdom or detection marked by an insight that goes beyond the facts given.

Aisthesis is a hapax legomenon which means it only occurs once in the Bible in this passage..

Believers can discern matters in a spiritual manner 1Cor 2:14-15; This ability for proper discernment comes through the believers consistent PMA of Bible Doctrine Psa 119:66;

A word with the same root as aiethesis is ( αἰσθητήριον aisthētērion ) which is used in Heb 5:14; where it is translated "senses".

Notes from TDNT volume 1 Page 187 regarding "aisthesis" and "aistheterion"

In Phil. 1:9 αἴσθησις indicates intellectual understanding as the power of moral discrimination and ethical judgment as distinct from religious

In Heb. 5:14 αἴσθητήριον also indicates intellectual understanding in much the same sense except that the point of view is different. The αἰσθητήρια are the organs which are capable of, or at least susceptible to, discrimination between good and evil, the τέλειος (mature believers) having so trained them by exercise that they have become a corresponding habitus. (Latin for habit which describes a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition that is demonstrated by increased ability to perform)

Here the pneuma (Holy Spirit) as replaced the νοῦς (nous) and αἰσθητήρια indicates a plurality of capacities for moral decision which through ἕξις (habits developed through practice or exercise ) have already developed into specific qualities.

Thus the word translated “senses” actually has to do with the accumulation of information, evaluation of its content, and discernment regarding whether to reject or accept the information

This discernment is obtained by frequent habitual practice of receiving instruction regarding Bible Doctrine from God the Holy Spirit.

When we approach Scripture with humility and a willingness to learn we will construct a house within our souls built on wisdom that will provide us the insight and the discernment to execute a lifestyle filled with the benefits of a living a biblically directed life.

With this inventory of ideas from Bible Doctrine believers have the power to discern between good and evil and with this ability can make decisions that separate them from ideologies, philosophies, circumstances, places, and people who would cause harm and to respond with enthusiasm to those that would contribute to their well-being.

Some people appear on the surface to be honorable but doctrine and discernment enables the mature believer to look behind the presentation and discover the motivation.

Some people can say a right thing in a right way but have the wrong motivation.

Advancing believers need to beware of unbelievers and believers without doctrine because they may say or do something right, their motivation is rarely right.

(a broken analog clock is right twice a day)

It takes doctrine in the soul for the believer to be able to discern between what is right and good and right and evil.

Paul's prayer for the believers to have discernment means he wanted them to understand what would be the good, better, and best thing to do in their situation and for the advancement of the gospel in any given set of circumstances.

Paul is praying for believers to be able to discern what is the a right thing to do in a right way for the right reason at the right time in any given situation.