Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter and special offers. While Paul was there, the holy spirit repeatedly stopped him from preaching in certain areas. In 2016... Great Leaders Model Magnanimity, Not Malice. If you take enough pictures, sometimes one will turn out well. . The jailer and his entire family get baptized. That lesson no doubt made a deep impression on Paul, as evidenced by what he later wrote to the brothers in Philippi about anxiety and the peace of God. 12. Sociologists define social class as a group of people with similar socioeconomic status or standing within the society based on the level of income, education, and occupation. There seems to be a virtual war between social classes on social media. He was on the other side of the Aegean Sea, in Asia Minor. A 2018 PIDS study[3] provides deeper insights into the middle class in the Philippines. What lessons do we learn from what happened to the apostle Paul in Philippi? Additionally, they use the opportunity to strengthen the brothers. The answer came in a vision while he was in Troas. The doors of the prison are thrown wide open. (2 Chron. 8, 9. Notice that Paul wants such things pondered, this is about something that shapes the mind and leads to certain habits and dispositions. Put another way, Paul does not appear to be borrowing from any particular source or tradition, nor does it seem that he was trying to say something “Roman-like” for the sake of the Philippians. It was as if the holy spirit were pushing him to go somewhere else. This raises the question: Who should the government help more, the poor or the middle class? Anthony Collier Anthony Collier, Jr. Denise Collier & Bookie Good Luck Lekia Bill, Alice, Jenessa, and Jasmine Calbert Beh"a, you are a sweet and dear youn~ farly. “[They’re] much more affected, so they need more help than us,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News[5]. (b) Why could the brothers in Philippi take Paul’s words seriously? Let us consider some Bible accounts that reinforce our confidence in Jehovah’s ability to do the unexpected in our behalf. Thus, they all deserve support not just from the government but also private citizens who are in a position to help others. Social Class in the Philippines - Who are the Middle Class? J{ouston el Sis. Truly, not even Hezekiah expected that to happen!​—2 Ki. Middle-income households have significantly greater access to education, health, and other services (not necessarily from the government). (a) What did King Hezekiah do when threatened by Assyrian King Sennacherib? It referred to a garrison of troops that was assigned to guard a fortified city in ancient times. 41:42 (See paragraph 13). I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil 4:8). But now, in the time of COVID-19 and the government-imposed lockdown, it has shifted to the poor vs. middle class. But he was still showing that “the peace of God” was with him.​—Phil. ), IT IS about midnight. 19:5, 15-20) Hezekiah also tried to show his reasonableness by paying the fine that Sennacherib imposed on him. . This is attributed to the lack of affordable housing in the cities. These include sari-sari store owners, tricycle and jeep drivers, bus conductors, call center agents, public school teachers, clerks, private-sector employees, and government workers. Only 1.4% fall in the high-income class. In Metro Manila and other traffic-congested cities, most cars are owned by the middle class. On the other hand, middle-class households hardly receive government assistance. (Phil 4:8). Jehovah can do the unexpected, so we need not be anxious in the face of  trials. 14 Granted, we do not expect that Jehovah will miraculously take away all our problems before the promised new world; nor do we demand that spectacular things occur in our lives. The birth of  Isaac certainly exceeded all that Sarah could ever have imagined.​—Gen. True, Paul refers to what is “just,” but the list here as a whole is less about doing right and more about reflecting on and pursuing what is good and beautiful, what we might call a Christian aesthetic. 8 As the brothers in Philippi thought over what had happened in the ten years since those events, they would have been strengthened. It will implement a Small Business Wage Subsidy Program[4] with a PHP 50.8 billion budget. 3 Perhaps Paul is also thinking about the events of the past few months. Even though they rely less on government help, it doesn’t mean the middle class is completely resilient to a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes he surprises us by doing the unexpected. 10, 11. 21:1-3, 6, 7. 16 What results when we receive this “peace of God that surpasses all understanding”? 9 Indeed, when those brothers in Philippi read Paul’s letter, they knew that these were not the words of an academic who was sitting somewhere in an office. (b) How did something unexpected occur in the case of Abraham’s wife, Sarah? 4:8; 1 Pet. Paul’s purpose was to inspire, not inform per se. (1 Cor. What lesson do we learn from what happened to Joseph?​—Gen. They’re just as affected by the lockdown as the poor. Arguing for inclusion of the lower middle-income class in the cash subsidy program, PIDS senior research fellow Jose Ramon Albert said the crisis would start taking its toll on them if the government doesn’t help them[5]. 4, 5. However, according to Albert, what people fail to realize is that when the economy is down due to the crisis, it’s the poor who suffer the most. 3:20. 4:7. 32:2-4) But how was the situation resolved? (2 Ki. Understanding Social Class in the Philippines: Which Class Do You Belong to? 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Kaya panic na lang kami, wala nang panic buying [We don’t have money to buy our needs. It should be said again there is nothing especially “Roman” about Paul’s statement. Related: Unemployment Benefits and Other COVID-19 Government Assistance Schemes. Three in every four middle-income households live in a space that they own, while 23% rent. 13. Then, on realizing that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens, the magistrates see that they have made a huge blunder, so they themselves come to escort the two men out. 3. And then there’s the upper-income class in between the middle class and the rich. Some translators render this expression “surpasses all our dreams” or “excels all human planning.” Paul was, in effect, saying that “the peace of God” is more wonderful than can be imagined. Middle-class families spend more on their children’s education, sending them to private schools and getting them tutoring services. They can’t even afford face masks and alcohol. Wondering what social class you’re in? 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. In addition to that, our impoverished kababayans have lost their source of income, have limited or no access to clean water and soap, and live in cramped spaces (where they can’t observe social distancing). Two missionaries, Paul and Silas, are in prison​—the innermost part of the prison—​in the city of Philippi. What did King Hezekiah do when faced with this imminent threat? Did aged Sarah expect that Jehovah would allow her to give birth to her own son, not just receive as son the child produced by her servant girl? I would say it is something like a “moral-aesthetic list,” though suggestive and evocative versus comprehensive. When talking about income inequality in the Philippines, the discussion would always focus on the poor vs. rich divide. In fact, the Jewish worshippers  need to gather outside the city gates beside a river. Surpasses All Understanding”, Publication download options They do not even have a Jewish synagogue in their city, unlike so many other cities that Paul has visited. 17. What do we need to do when we are overly worried about a problem, and what can we reasonably expect? 5:10) That knowledge guards us from becoming overwhelmed by anxiety or discouragement. (Acts 16:6, 7) But where? It may not be spectacular, but it will always be what we need. Pray to him “with thanksgiving,” remembering your blessings. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the government has been prioritizing the poorest of the poor in terms of providing financial support. It is by maintaining a good relationship with our God, Jehovah. So, if this is not a Roman-style virtue list, nor a virtue list at all…what is it? The PIDS study also notes that if the government shifts public resources away from the poor toward the middle class, this would impede inclusive growth in the country, make it harder for the poor to reach middle-class status, and make the current socio-economic divide worse. 13 Consider the young man Joseph, a son of Jacob. Note: Data from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Social classes range from low to high and often reveal inequalities in terms of power, influence, and access to resources. . Is it the poor who have nothing? The poor don’t have the means to stock up on a week’s supply of food and medicines. 3:21. (Acts 16:21) Could this be why they do not even think it possible that these Jews, Paul and Silas, could be Roman citizens? Paul, a Roman citizen, deserved a proper trial. (b) How did Paul’s situation change unexpectedly? Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! The Scriptures answer by saying that it ‘will guard our hearts and our mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. Get updates from Crux Sola: Formed by Scripture to Live like Christ delivered straight to your inbox. They have higher educational attainment, which is why more of them have better-quality jobs. How long would he be stuck in prison? 1:12-14; 4:7, 11, 22. Three primary social classes exist in the Philippines: the low-income class, the middle-income class, and the high-income class. To provide updated and accurate information that better reflects the present situation, the income computation is based on the current poverty threshold. They pay the most taxes. To the government’s credit, it has responded to the calls for assistance to middle-class families. King Hezekiah lived at a time when King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah and captured all the fortified cities, with the exception of Jerusalem. The inhabitants of Philippi slept soundly at night, knowing that soldiers were guarding the gates of their city. 18:14, 15) In time, Hezekiah made preparations for a long siege. THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION August 2017, Share 14. 24:21, 22) We do not know all the details of what that will mean for us individually. In a similar manner, when we have “the peace of God,” our hearts and minds remain at rest. (2 Ki. (Read 1 Peter 5:6, 7.) The government defines the middle class as those earning incomes between two to 12 times the poverty line. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), the government’s socio-economic policy think tank, notes that the low-income class has a bigger share of the population because they tend to have larger families than other social classes. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Why I Believe in Women in Ministry: INDEX (Gupta). Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. (b) What do we learn from how Jehovah resolved the problem? (Read.) (Acts 16:16-22) The injustice of it all! 4 Perhaps there have been times in your life when you felt that you, like Paul, were following the leadings of God’s holy spirit, but then things did not turn out the way you expected. Each time Jehovah does so for us, we may experience in a new way “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.”. What lesson was Paul teaching them? This issue has sparked appeals for the expansion of the social amelioration program’s coverage to include the middle class. Basically: Do not worry. May God bless you Bro. . The middle class is further classified into lower, middle, and upper middle-income classes.

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