A Distant Presence: The Story Behind Paul's Letter to the Philippians

The first task in understanding New Testament letters is to attempt to reconstruct the historical situation behind the letter. When this is done one has a basis upon which to understand the meaning of the letter itself. Tim Woodroof has used his reconstruction of Paul's letter to the Philippians as the basis for a wonderful historical novel telling the story of the beginning of the Philippian church, Paul's imprisonment in Rome, trouble in Philippi, the writing of the letter, and it's reception by the church. The novel itself is about 2/3 of the book; the remaining pages are an explanation of why the author made the choices he did in his retelling of the historical events. For an exegetically minded preacher like myself; I found this most helpful. I understand that this book was to be the first of a series called the Narrative Commentary Series. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a market for such books. Such is a disappointment for me. I guess some people like commentaries and others like historical novels; but people don't want their novels and commentaries mixed together! Today you can buy Woodroof's wonderful novel (minus the commentary) in a work entitled, The Messenger.

This is one of those books that I hope NEVER go out of print. Too many Christians see the early church as ancient, distant and not easily understood. This book demonstrates why the early church, early Christians, and most of all, the Apostle Paul were real people, with real problems and real friendships. Using historical facts and the books of Acts and Philippians, the author does a masterful job of making this church come to life. I was truly blown away by this book. I bristle at those who say that the Bible has no application for their lives today- or those who teach that the Bible of old no longer applies to people the way it did back then. I would challenge anyone to read this book and try to convince me that people in the first century are any different than people in the 21st century. Same problems, same worries, same "issues" that we deal with today. Get this book. It's a real jewel.

Tim Woodroof is a masterful story teller that brings the biblical letter of Philippians to life! Tim, through apparent extensive secular and scriptural historical research, enhanced my visual images surrounding the circumstances of the Philippian Christians at the time Paul writes the letter and enriched my appreciation for the message. The development of the Simeon character is brilliant!! Thanks Tim for sharing your tremendous insights; please write more along this line!!

I admit -- when I think of the early church, my imagination borrows lavishly from Jewel Miller filmstrips of my youth. There is the Apostle, writing from a prison cell. And here he is, clamped in the stocks in a Philippian jail; bruised, but not bowed. Every image, locked down, frozen, neatly framed . . . sepia-tinted, motionless and slightly unfocused. How often have I read the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, seining for rules I can apply to daily living, yet missing Paul's point? Tim Woodroof's book reveals the undercurrents that Paul deftly navigated in writing his message. In his poignant and very personal letter to his dear, distant Madedonian friends, the aging apostle emphasized that the solid footing for a Christian walk is loving, joyful relationships -- not rules. Relationships with the Savior certainly, but also with one another. Tim Woodroof's refreshing commentary animates my mental images, bringing to life individuals in the family of Christ at Philippi, helping me to appreciate more fully the priceless treasure that has been preserved for us in the letter to that church. _A Distant Presence_ is well-written and engrossing; exhibiting excellent scholarship and sound theology. The margin questions and end notes helped establish the plausibility of the settings and events described in the narrative. I commend this book to all readers of The Word.