Paul’s epistle to the Philippians

Author:

- Paul: 1:1

The city:

- Chief city of Macedonia.

- Roman colony Acts 16:12 – having the benefits of being Roman citizen
- There was a small Jewish population.
- First European city to receive the gospel
- AKA: Crenides
- Founded by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC
- He enlarged the city and renamed it Philippi.
- In 167 BC Macedonia was divided by the Romans and divided into four districts. 42
BC, historic battle of Philippi.
- In 27 BC, Octavian was made supreme ruler of the empire: Octavian Augustus
Caesar.
- He disposed of those who sided with Anthony and gave their houses to his veterans.
- He allowed the dispossessed of Italy to live in Philippi.
- It became a little Rome for retired soldiers.
- It was in a strategic location: there was a river – gangites, a mile west to the city;
located near the Egnatian way.
- The city was flourishing, wealthy and had a military center.

The establishment of the church:

- In the second missionary journey, Paul receives the vision to enter into Macedonia.
They entered into Philippi and go to the place of prayer by the river. Lydia and her
household is converted to Christ.
- The episode of the damsel with a spirit of divination. This raised the opposition of
the city, which puts Paul and the rest in prison where they sang praises to God – the
earthquake and the conversion of the jailor and his household.
 - The next morning, they send them away.
- The cause of Christ was advanced by conflict, not ease and prosperity.
- The church became very dear to Paul. They also, probably became supporters of
Paul since the beginning. 1:5.

Time and place

- From prison, or house arrest, in Rome.

- Eph. Phil. Col. And Philem. are the letters from the prison. Acts 28:20-31: two
years Paul was in prison.
- His imprisonment begun in c. 61
-

Purpose:

- Gratitude for their fellowship. 4:14-18.

- To magnify Christ and encourage them to be Christ-centered.
- To warn them of the thread of false doctrine.
- To encourage unity between to women of the church. 4:2.

Theme: Joy – the epistle of joy. Reasons to be joyful:

- Christ was preached

- The unity of the church
- The success of the gospel in the city.
- The care of the brethren.

The ideal condition is joy and contentment.

4:4-7 –

Be anxious for nothing – ungodly anxiety: not a natural form of anxiety.

Prayers, supplications and thanksgiving – the recipe for the anxiety

The peace of God…- The result.

Memory work for test: Galatians 1:6, 7, 8, 9; 2:20; 3:1-2; 3:24, 25-29; 4:16

Philippians 1

v. 1: Includes Timothy as one of his companions: both servants of Christ.

“Bishops and deacons”: the overseers – the college of bishops. Titus 1:5. Deacons: special
servants. Always in the plural. Scripturally organized church.

“Grace and peace” – karis kaí eirene: the usual greeting of the Christians. Found 17 times
in the GNT. Favor and tranquility or harmony: used by Paul, Peter and John.

The “equality” of Jesus and the Father.

v. 3-4: Paul offers prayer for all the saints. Even in the congregations where there were
many different troubles. This is a request made in joy.

v. 5: they had a participation – koinonia in the gospel from the very first day. They
immediately participated in the contribution and support of Paul. The method of
evangelism was to make the congregation grow by itself.

v. 6: God is able to perfect that which He started. Day of Christ: probably the judgement
day.

v. 7: They had stood with Paul amid his adversity, they were friends and helpers of Paul.
Even in Prison he can count on their support.

v. 9: The more that we know, is the more we should grow. Jas 3:1. As the local church
grows in the knowledge, it should also grow in love. Judgement: discernment – v. 10.

v. 11: full of fruit of what is produced in righteousness. Productive Christians.

v. 12-13: what happens to Paul Rome (or Ephesus) has reached to the imperial guard – it
was a help to spread the gospel. Even when he was before Agrippa he preached the gospel.

v. 14: Even other preachers in the middle of persecution became bold through the example
of Paul.
v. 15-17: two parties in Rome: those who are for Paul and others against Paul. Some grew
confident in good will, others tried to harm him even more. Paul was ready to defend the
truth of the gospel – to show the truthfulness of it.

v. 18: The message preached by both groups was Christ, even if some were not preaching it
for true motives.

v. 19: Paul is Christ centered and confident that this situation will result in favor of him.
Heb. 11:6; Mat. 9:29. Whether in life or death Christ will be glorified.

v. 21-24: living is Christ for Paul and even the possibility of death represents a gain. He
lived joyful for what God allows him to do for his brethren, but dying represented
something much better for himself. 2 Cor. 5:1; Rev. 13:14. He understood that he would be
conscious in death.

He knew that his existence was holding back the apostasy. 2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4. He had the
mind of Christ.

v. 25-26: He trusts that the result will be favorable either way.

v. 27: his worry is that they stand fast in a Christian life and unity among them.

v. 28: Either way those who oppose the church have their own destiny. The cause is right,
not matter what. It is something for which God is behind.

Philippians 2

v. 1-2: for as much as all these things are in Christ, then, complete my joy being in unity.
One has joy in seeing the church in unity.

v. 3: The people should see love in every work that we do. The church is not about oneself.

v. 4: Selflessness. Mat. 8:20

v. 5: Think like Christ thinks – Our thinking should be molded to the way that Christ is. In
this context it is referred to humility.

v. 6: morfe theou – Is. 6. We have to put this in the context of deity: God himself emptied
himself to be our servants.
Kenosis – willful giving up of his Godhead. However, he never lost not a single drop of his
divinity.

Heb. 2:9 – He died the death of the criminal.

v. 9-11: This brings a “lower” Christology of exaltation – his work has put him above every
creation. This is the most universalist text in the Bible: non-coercive confession of the
Lord.

The glory of the Father: even in the most Christological passage, the main character is the
Father.

v. 12-13: we work our salvation but is God the one who effectively makes it possible.

v. 14-15: The unity among Christians will be seen as the light in middle of darkness. The
complaining always brings to mind Israel in the wilderness. Questioning God of what He
does.

Christians are supposed to be in the midst of the crooked generation, not out of it.

v. 16: Day of Christ: the judgement day. Paul will rejoice in their presence before him.

v. 19-24: Paul is with Timothy, and he plans to send him to prepare his coming to them.

v. 25: The example of Epaphroditus.

v. 26-28: this is what Paul ultimately wants to communicate to the church: Epaphroditus
was at the point of death and this showed the love both of Epaphroditus and the entire
church at Philippi.

Phil. 3

v. 1a: A big shift in the letter.

v. 1b-2: Paul starts warning them about apostasy. Destructive false teachers described as
dogs. Specifically, he is referring to the Judaizing teachers who imposed circumcision.

v. 3: He is trying to take away that tradition from them: no trust in the flesh.

v. 4-6: He could show his credentials, and he does.

v. 7: The earthly recognition is put aside as meaningless in the kingdom of God. The
parable of the field and of the pearl. What Paul is trying to say is that all those “marks” are
not the marks of the actual family of God, but faith by which we can be found in the
righteousness of God.

v. 10: Acts 5:41-42. Paul is thankful that he can know the God that previously known him.
Such a beautiful verse.

v. 12: Col. 3:1-2 – the purpose of Paul is to go forth. Hope is what kept Paul going. Mark
10:28-30.

v. 15: obscure verse.

v. 16: basically: let us hold to what we have, and God will lead us into something more.
The “walking” is a byzantine addition.

The next is a warning about people who live against the cross of Christ: the earthly minded
people. People who put their trust in this world, as opposed to Christians who have their
citizenship, i. e., their way of life, in heaven. The image is of Christ as the emperor coming
down victorious.

Phil. 4

v. 1: Because of the hope that we have – stand fast. The adjectives reveal a wonderful
relationship between Paul and the church.

v. 2: there must be a unity in Christ. 1 Cor. 1:10-15; John 17:20-21. There was a difference
so big that had to be corrected. Luke 10:20: the names of the faithful are written in heaven.
Rev. 3:15-16; 13:8. One can be erased from that book or not be written there at all. Ex.
32:32; Dan 12:1; Is. 34: an old tradition in the HB.

Yokefellow: might be “Syzigus” as a proper noun. The change into the singular is
important, seeing that he starts here to address them individually.

v. 3: Women had a preeminent role in the early community. These were not “side jobs” but
places of leadership.

v. 4: Christianity is rejoicing.
v. 5: Show your gentleness to all – make known your joy in life. Ps. 119:114; 1 Pet. 3:12;

Paul still had an expectation of the Lord coming back. Probably can mean the closeness of
Jesus in life. Amid the tribulations Jesus is near.

v. 6-7: Requirement, recipe, and result for worries. We can have freedom from anxiety.

v. 8: The mind of the Christian should be on these things. Do not allow the world to mold
our thinking. We can control what we think.

v. 9: encouragement about following Paul’s example.

v. 10-14: This new section deals with the gift of the Philippians to Paul. His attitude stands
as an example to the believers of how to handle riches: contentment and thankfulness. This
is also an admonition to the rich to know how to handle riches. Verse 13 is a statement of
trust concerning financial need: I know that Christ will carry me through. 2 Cor. 11:8.

v. 15ff: He exalts them in that they were ready from the start, even when other churches did
not. This is complicated noting what he says in other places. These gifts are a form of
worship and sacrifice unto God. 2 Cor. 16:8; Mat. 6:33;

v. 22: Caesar’s household. Probably some of the praetorian guard.