Studiesin

Philippians

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BackgroundThe church at Philippi was the first church to be planted in Europe after Paul was obedient to the vision he received. cf Acts 16.9ff

ColossaeEphesus

Troas GalatiaPhilippi

Lystra

Antioch

Philippians is one of four prison epistles written during Paul's Roman imprisonment towards the end of his missionary career. Though written from prison, this epistle is characterised by joy. It has been summed up in two Latin words, "Gaudeo, Gaudete" - "I rejoice, do you rejoice". The joy that flows through this epistle is not mere emotion but is rooted in a vital living relationship with Christ.

PurposeIn his Roman imprisonment Paul was very encouraged by the arrival of Epaphroditus, who had brought gifts from the Church at and at the same time alerted Paul to the divisive tendency in the church.

Paul wrote to thank the Philippians for their gift and to give them some insight into his imprisonment. In addition, he wanted to address the divisive spirit in the church which placed it in great danger.

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The Structure of the BookOpening and introduction 1:1-2Paul and the Philippian Church 1:3-26

Thanksgiving, confidence and prayer 1:3-11Paul’s immediate circumstances 1:12-20Paul and his prospects 1.21-26

Exhortation and Examples 1:27-2:30Warnings 3:1-4:1Encouragement Gratitude and Final Greetings 4: 2-23

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Openingand

IntroductionChap 1:1-2

One of the great frustrations we can experience is the holiday postcard that arrives so crammed with detail that the sender has left little room for his name. You are left wondering who sent it?

This was not a problem in the ancient world. Communications began with a person’s name. Paul not only identifies himself, his relationship to his readers but also the purpose of his writing. This was not a simple “wish you were here” postcard, for Paul was writing from prison and that is not an experience he would wish upon his readers. However, what he did want them to share was his indescribable joy.

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Paul’s joy had left an indelible mark on the Philippians. In Acts 16 we read that the authorities had Paul and Barnabus arrested, beaten and thrown into prison.

These prisoners did not threaten legal action for wrongful arrest, they did not seethe in silence or go on hunger strike. They broke out into song and praised God Acts 16.25.

That was not a natural response. And so long after a church had been planted in Philippi the joy of these prisoners would have been the talking point of the town.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16.25

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Today, bookshelves are filled with books aimed at people who are struggling with life and who want to discover the secret of happiness. Paul did not set out to write such a book. Indeed he would be horrified at the suggestion that this book was a manual for happiness. Why? Because joy in the Christian life is not a goal we pursue. Instead, it is something that at times takes us by surprise. It is the by-product of authentic Christian living. If you take seriously the teaching of this epistle then do not be surprised if joy creeps up on you unawares.

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In v1 both Paul and Timothy are described as 'servants', Greek ‘douloi’ literally ‘bond-slaves’. In a society, which laid great stress upon status, what a strange way to introduce oneself! One of the problems at Philippi was selfish ambition [2.3] and an unwillingness to serve and submit to one another. And so Paul begins by reminding them of what is constitutionally true of every Christian, we are Christ's bond-slaves:‘he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price’. 1 Cor.7.22-23.

We need to remind ourselves of that every day.

The opening greeting of Paul's letters make a fascinating study . The way in which he describes himself often gives a clue to the situation he is addressing. Timothy who helped found the church at Philippi is also mentioned perhaps as someone who had a special place in their hearts.

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Paul addresses this letter to 'the saints'. That is the whole Christian fellowship and not just a few holy, outstanding individuals. To be a Christian is to be 'set apart' by God for a life of holiness and service. That is the root meaning of the word "saint". Just as the Philippians had a vital part to play to ensure that a godly influence shone into the world , so too do we!. The phrase, “in Christ”, is Paul’s favourite way of addressing the Christian and he uses this expression over 100 times in his letters. It describes an indissoluble union with Jesus and to be united to Jesus results in a whole new world of blessing.

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The letter is addressed not just to the congregation but to the spiritual leadership within the congregation 'overseers and deacons' v1. This is the only congregation in the New Testament to be addressed in this way.

The leadership are singled out because of their God given responsibility to take the truths of this epistle - unity, humility and maturity - and build them into the lives of their people. Truth needs to be screwed home. It needs fastened into the minds and hearts of God's people.

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In v2 the greeting of 'grace and peace' though common in Paul’s day had new meaning poured into it by the apostles. It seems unnecessary to state that ‘grace’ is God's undeserved, unmerited mercy but many still foolishly believe that God’s blessing is earned by their faithfulness and service. The European Reformers of the 16th Century had three great maxims that they used to test Christian instruction;Only scripture – gospel truth was found solely in God’s word.Only grace - gospel blessing flowed from God’s undeserved favour.Only faith – gospel blessing could only be accessed by faith The Hebrew word ‘shalom’, would have filled out Paul’s understanding of the word 'peace‘. It spoke of the entrance of harmony in a world of discord, of the healing of broken relationships, and of the restoration of a disintegrated humanity. It is the fruit of Christ's death. cf. Jesus’ first words to his disciples after his resurrection was 'peace'.