Immanuel - Mankato Bible Class
Study of Philippians – Lesson 1
January 7, 2001
Introduction; Philippians 1:1-2
Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians is a personal thank-you note to dear friends for help, which was long-standing and on-going. It is a letter, which radiates joy, love, thanksgiving, hope, and praise from a man "in chains!" (cf. Colossians 4:3). Its main theme can be found in Paul’s evangelical admonition, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (4:4) But how could a man "in chains" rejoice? The answer, as Paul reveals, is found in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ! May our study of this epistle, which reveals to us the object of Paul’s faith and the source of his strength, serve both to instruct and inspire us in our faith-life!
Paul identifies himself and his co-worker, Timothy, as the epistle’s authors in the very first verse. There is no reason to doubt this, primarily, because the Holy Spirit moved Paul to be so clear with regard to this matter; but also, secondarily, because the language and style of the letter is typical of Paul.
Church fathers from the very beginning recognized the epistle as written by Paul. Because one church father, Polycarp, mentions Paul’s "letters" to the Philippians, some Bible scholars have suggested that perhaps our present Epistle to the Philippians was originally two separate letters, which were later combined. This is suggested because Chapters 1:1-3:1 have a different tone and content than do Chapters 3:2-4:20. Other scholars suggest that Paul’s comment in Chapter 3:1, "to write the same things to you," indicates that he had written a previous letter to the Philippians warning them against false teachers. This letter, if it was written, has been lost to us.
When Paul walked into Philippi for the first time in 52 AD, he gazed upon a Roman city—Colonia Julia Augusta Philippensis [It would be wise for all Bible Class participants to read Acts 16, which records the history of Paul’s missionary trip to Philippi and the establishment of its Christian congregation] Caesar Augustus gave it that name in 42 BC after he and Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius there a short time after Julius Caesar’s assassination. The city had been in existence for hundreds of years prior to that. It was originally called Krenides (city of springs), but was renamed Philippi after it was conquered and fortified in 358 BC by Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Gold mines in the region surrounding Philippi first financed Philip’s and then Alexander’s rise to power. Caesar Augustus and Mark Antony rewarded their victorious veterans with land grants all around the city, with the result that by the time Paul arrived those veterans had intermarried with the locals and produced a generation proud of their dual heritage. They were surrounded by the culture of Greece, but blessed with the privileges of Roman citizenship! Unlike the other cities in the area, which were not Roman colonies, Philippi did not have to contend with a provincial governor. They were free to govern themselves. They paid no poll or property taxes, and their property rights were guaranteed. These special privileges of citizenship were zealously guarded, which perhaps explains why the Philippians reacted so violently to accusations that Paul was teaching customs contrary to Roman laws (cf. Acts 16:21); customs, which if tolerated, could result in the loss of those privileges.
There were apparently very few Jews living in Philippi, for there was no synagogue. Consequently, the congregation was made up primarily if not almost entirely of Gentiles. Acts 16 identifies three different individuals whose lives were touched by Paul and his gospel, and whom we assume became members of the congregation: Lydia, the seller of purple garments at whose home Paul and his companions were invited to stay (cf. 16:14-15); a demon-possessed young woman, who told fortunes, but who was rescued by Paul when he miraculously cast the demon out of her (cf. 16:16-18); and the jailer who came to faith together with his family through Paul’s preaching, after Paul prevented his contemplated death through suicide (cf. 16:28-34).
Paul returned to Philippi at least two times after his initial visit, and perhaps even a third time solidifying his close bonds with this Christian congregation. They are the only congregation, of which we are aware, to repeatedly send financial gifts to support Paul’s ongoing mission efforts. They did so twice while he was in Thessalonica (cf. Philippians 4:16), once while he was in Corinth (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:8f.; Acts 18:5), and then once again during his imprisonment in Rome (cf. Philippians 4:18). It was in response to this final gift that Paul, in part, wrote this epistle.
Paul wrote his Epistle to the Philippians during his first imprisonment in Rome. [It would be helpful for all Bible Class participants to read Acts 21-28 to review for themselves the whole series of events leading up to Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome.] Paul was falsely accused by his Jewish enemies of trying to subvert the faith of Jews and of bringing Gentiles into part of the temple in Jerusalem designated solely for Jews (cf. Acts 21:28). Because of these false accusations, Paul had been imprisoned in Caesarea for over two years under two different Roman governors. When it was suggested by the second of these governors, Festus, that he return to Jerusalem for trial, Paul appealed to Caesar and, in view of his Roman citizenship, to Caesar he was sent (cf. Acts 25:9-12). Paul then spent an additional two years under house arrest awaiting trial in Rome.
During this period Paul wrote four of his epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians. It would appear that Paul wrote Philippians towards the end of his imprisonment either late in 61 AD or early in 62 AD after writing the other three epistles.
Paul had several reasons for writing his letter. As mentioned earlier, he wanted to thank the Christians of Philippi for their generous support. In addition, however, he wanted to inform them of his personal circumstances, to reassure them of the health and safety of Epaphroditus, [Epaphroditus was a member of the Philippian congregation, whom the Philippians had sent with their gift to Paul, but who while in Rome had become ill. They had been worried about his welfare, and so Paul was now sending him home with the epistle in hand.] and to strengthen their faith and encourage them in their Christian lives.
Philippians is not an easy book to outline and, consequently, there is little uniformity when is comes to the outlines provided by various Bible scholars. The following outline is taken from The Open Bible [Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983]:
Philippians 1:1-2 [NKJV]
Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Literal Translation: Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus—to those in Philippi with overseers and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul identifies both Timothy and himself as "slaves" while identifying the Philippians as "saints." Both designations may seem strange to the modern ear, yet both are accurate when considered in connection with Jesus Christ. Both, incidentally, apply to believers today!
Paul and Timothy were both free men, with Paul in addition being able to boast of Roman citizenship (cf. Acts 16:37; 21:39). Yet, both of these men recognized the truth that by virtue of Christ’s redemptive work they belonged to God and were glad of it! Paul had earlier written to the Christians in Corinth, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Just as the sons of Korah proclaimed in Old Testament times that they would rather be doorkeepers in the house of God than to dwell among the wicked (cf. Psalm 84:10), so Paul and Timothy recognized that being close to God—yes, belonging to God—was the highest of honors and a position of ultimate security! Indeed, "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31b)
The Philippians, together with their bishops (the pastors who were entrusted with the oversight of souls) and deacons, were "saints"—"holy ones." This was the case not because of any personal righteousness of their own, for they confessed themselves to be sinners together with all human beings. Rather, they were "saints" in connection with Jesus Christ. Paul had taught them and they understood the blessed truth that "by one Man’s obedience (namely that of Jesus Christ) many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). Theirs was an imputed righteousness bestowed upon them by virtue of their faith in Christ and the promises of God as worked by the Holy Spirit. Paul told Titus, "When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (3:4-7).
In greeting the Philippians Paul uses two concepts that are of critical importance and significance for believers of all ages—grace and peace. Grace denotes both the attitude and activity of God over against man, for God loved man in spite of his unworthiness and effected a plan of salvation in Christ! "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Peace denotes the results of God gracious plan of salvation, that we by grace through faith are now at peace with God for all of our sins, which separated us from God, have been removed. "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1).
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