Submit a 5-page double-spaced paper interpreting a passage agreed upon with the professor, demonstrating the student’s ability to interpret a Pauline letter reflecting key historical, exegetical, and practical insights. This paper will be due one week after the course ends. The paper should also include a section describing how you would teachor preach this passage to a specific audience of the student’s choosing. Attach a personal outline of the letter that is the subject of the paper as an addendum.

Philippians 4:2-6 Paper due in 2 weeks.

Philippians 1:1-2 Salutation – from Paul & Timothy noted as ‘servants’

- Addressed to Philippians with bishops anddeacons

1: 3-11 Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you holdme in your heart,* for all of you share in God’s grace* with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9And this is my prayer, thatyour love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

1: 12-30 Paul’s Present Circumstances

12 I want you to know, beloved,* that what has happened to me hasactually helped to spread the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard* and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14and most of the brothers and sisters,* having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word* with greater boldness and without fear.

15 Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. 16These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defence of the gospel; 17the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. 18What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this willresult in my deliverance. 20It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hearabout you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And thisis God’s doing. 29For he has graciously granted you the privilegenot only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well

— 30since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had andnow hear that I still have.

Philippians 2:1-11 Imitating Christ’s Humility

2If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing fromselfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was* in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God,   did not regard equality with God   as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself,   taking the form of a slave,   being born in human likeness.And being found in human form, 8   he humbled himself   and became obedient to the point of death—   even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him   and gave him the name   that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus   every knee should bend,   in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess   that Jesus Christ is Lord,   to the glory of God the Father.

2:12 – 18 Shining as Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15so that you maybe blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in themidst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16It is by your holding fast to the wordof life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. 17But even if I am being poured out asa libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— 18and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

2: 19-30 Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. 20I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But Timothy’s* worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; 24and I trust inthe Lord that I will also come soon.

25 Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and co-worker and fellow-soldier, your messenger* and minister to my need; 26for he has been longing for* all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. 28I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, andthat I may be less anxious. 29Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honour such people, 30because he came close to deathfor the work of Christ,* risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

Philippians 3:1

3Finally, my brothers and sisters,* rejoice* in the Lord.

3: 1- 11 Breaking with the Past

To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and foryou it is a safeguard.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of thosewho mutilate the flesh!* 3For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God* and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— 4even though I, too, have reasonfor confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as tothe law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regardthem as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found inhim, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ,* the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ* and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

3: 12 – 21 Pressing towards the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;* but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesushas made me his own. 13Beloved,* I do not consider that I have

made it my own;* but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly* call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. 16Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

17 Brothers and sisters,* join in imitating me, and observe thosewho live according to the example you have in us. 18For many liveas enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them,and now I tell you even with tears. 19Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship* is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, theLord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the body of our humiliation* so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,* by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Philippians 4: 1 – 9 Exhortations

41Therefore, my brothers and sisters,* whom I love and long for,my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in theLord. 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion,* help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice* in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.* 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to

God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, beloved,* whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about* these things. 9Keep ondoing the things that you have learned and received and heard andseen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

4:10 – 20 Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gift

10 I rejoice* in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it.* 11Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.

15 You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. 16For even whenI was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. 17Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. 18I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19And my God will fullysatisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.Amen.

4:21 – 23 Final Greetings and Benediction

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends* who are with me greet you. 22All the saints greet you, especially those of theemperor’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.*

Outline of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

Philippians1:1-2

Salutation – from Paul & Timothy referring to

themselves as ‘servants’ and addressed to the

Philippians with the bishops and deacons1:3-11 Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians includes a note

about his imprisonment.1:12-30 Paul’s Present Circumstances in prison support

the spread of the Gospel. Paul notes his

conflict with wanting to be with Christ versus

doing his duty to stay and spread the Gospel to

others. He mentions “one spirit” and “one mind”

as a theme of unity.Philippians

2:1-11Paul encourages imitating Christ’s humility, and

continues with the theme of “one mind”; saying

have the “same love” and “being of one accord.”2:12–18 Instructions support the theme, “Do all things

without murmuring and arguing”2:19-30 Paul notes the situations with Timothy and

Epaphroditus, indicating he will send

Epaphroditus to Philippi.Philippians

3:1-11Breaking with the past restrictions of Jewish

tradition, faith is more important3:12–21 Move forward to citizenship in heaven.

Philippians4:1–9

Exhortations: 1. Do not argue – specific to

Euodia and Syntyche, 2. rejoice

and ask for God’s help,

3. keep doing good things.4:10 – 20 Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gift

4:21–23 Final Greetings and Benediction

Philippians

Author and Title:

Both the internal and external evidence again points to Paul as the author. “The early church was unanimous in its testimony thatPhilippians was written by the apostle Paul (see 1:1). Internallythe letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. The many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul from other NT books.”56

The epistle to the church at Philippi, the first church Paul established in Macedonia, is titled in the Greek text, Pros Philippesious, “To the Philippians.”

Date: A.D. 60-61

As with Ephesians, this epistle was written while Paul was imprisoned. His reference to the Praetorian guard (Phil. 1:13) along with the possibility of death (vv. 20-26) suggest he was writing from Rome. Though death was possible, Paul also seemed confident of his release. This suggests Philippians was written after Ephesians later in A.D. 60 or 61.

Theme and Purpose:

Whereas Ephesians sets forth the glorious mystery, “the church which is Christ’s body,” Christ as the head of the Church (1:22-23), and believers as co-members of one another who are equally blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (1:3; 2:11-22), Philippians guards the practice of Ephesians. Philippians guards against the failure to practice Christ-provided unity and againstthe failure of believers to rejoice in their blessings and position in Christ (Phil. 1:27; 2:2; 4:1f.). The theme of Philippians might well be “joy and unity in Christ.”

Paul had several obvious purposes in writing this letter to the Philippians: (1) He sought to express his love and gratitude for the gift they had sent him (1:5; 4:10-19); (2) to give a report about his own circumstances (1:12-26; 4:10-19); (3) to encourage

the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and rejoice regardless of circumstances (1:27-30; 4:4); (4) to exhortthem to live in humility and unity (2:1-11; 4:2-5); (5) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19-30); and (6) to warn the Philippians against the legalistic Judaizers and the libertarian antinomians who had slipped in among them (ch. 3).

Key Word(s):

The key word, occurring in one form or the other some 16 times, is “joy” or “rejoice.” “Unity” or “oneness” is another key idea of the book. This is expressed in a number of ways like, “being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (2:2); “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together” (1:27), and “be in harmony” (4:2).

Key Verses:

1:21. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 3:8-11. More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities

compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I might gain Christ, 3:9 and be found in him, not because of having my own righteousness derived from the law, but because of having the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is based on Christ’s faithfulness. 3:10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 3:11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

4:11-13. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. 4:12 I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. 4:13 I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

Key Chapters:

Chapter 2 is certainly a key chapter in the way it sets forth Christ as our example in putting others before ourselves by having the mind of Christ. In the process of this, Paul then launches into a grand revelation regarding the humility and exaltation of Christ in 2:5-11.

Christ as Seen in Philippians:

No passage is clearer and more declarative regarding the nature, fact, and purpose of the incarnation of Christ as is found in this book, the great kenosis passage (2:5f.). Further, in view of all Christ was, is, has and will accomplish, Paul declares Christas the believer’s life, “for to me to live is Christ” (1:21), that He is the perfect model of humility and sacrificing love (2:4-5), that He is the one who will transform our humble bodies into the likeness of His glorious body at the resurrection (3:21), and He is our means of enablement in any and all circumstances of life (4:12).

Outline:57

I. Salutation and Thanksgiving for the Philippians (1:1-11)

II. The Personal Circumstances of Paul in Rome: The Preaching of Christ (1:12-30)

III. The Pattern of the Christian Life: Having the Mindof Christ (2:1-30)

A. The Exhortation to Humility (2:1-4)

B. The Epitome of Humility (2:5-11)

C. The Exercise of Humility (2:12-18)

D. The Examples of Humility Seen in Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30)

IV. The Prize of the Christian Life: Having the Knowledge of Christ (3:1-21)

A. The Warning Against Legalistic Judaizers (3:1-4a)

B. The Example of Paul (3:4b-14)

C. The Exhortation to Others (3:15-21)

V. The Peace of the Christian Life: Knowing the Presence of Christ (4:1-23)

A. Peace With Others (4:1-3)

B. Peace With Self (4:4-9)

C. Peace With Circumstances (4:10-23)

http://bible.org/seriespage/pauline-epistles

Paul and the Pauline Tradition Christian Leadership

Philippians 4:2-6 Lynne Walton, Nov. 1, 2011

This letter from Paul to the church in Philippi is a caring

and loving message to a strong community. He sends an

encouraging note to help them and reassure them of God’s love.

He describes how to behave as Christ expects, to live in accord

with each other. In one passage Paul specifically names two women

in an exhortation for them to be of the same mind in the Lord.

This passage brings to light two people from the early church.

All that is revealed about them seems to be a simple dispute.

Yet there is a lot to be learned from this short section of the

letter and from Paul’s technique in presenting it as part of his

instruction on faith in Christ.

There is no certainty of the location of Paul’s imprisonment

when he writes this letter, since it is possible he could have

been in Ephesus, Caesarea or Rome. He had visited Philippi about

50 CE so this letter may have been written any time from 5 to 12

years later. Part of the purpose of the letter is to send thanks

to the followers in Philippi for their gifts and concerns

regarding his imprisonment. This letter from Paul has a theme of

unity and he even gets very specific when asking Euodia and

Syntyche to work together amicably.

Philippi is a Greek city and has a fair amount of Jewish

people living amongst the gentiles. The church group which

started with Paul’s initial visit must by the time of this

letter, be a large group of follower’s with mostly gentile

members and a few Hebrews. They are organized enough and not

poor as demonstrated by their capacity to provide a nice gift and

a person able to travel to Paul’s prison to deliver it

(Epaphradites). Also, this is true because of the fact that

they are making enough of an impression on the community to stir

up some flack, and to be targeted by some false leaders as noted

in the letter. As a large fledgling group of followers of the

Good News, they are still in a formative stage, yet dealing with

how to get many people to meet discreetly and comfortably and to

allow discussions, lead prayer groups, and perform charitable

works. The culture of the city is open to women’s participation

in activities, and the women of this church have been very active

in its growth.

Eudia and Syntyche are the forerunners of “church women”

which means they are fully involved and passionate about this new

Messiah and his following. They worked with Paul and others to

bring the Good News to their families and friends in Philippi.

They probably opened their homes to many visitors, provided food

and beverages, even the bread and wine eaten in remembrance of

Jesus Christ. They listened to Paul’s message and helped to

share their own versions of it to friends and children. I

imagine they still had to keep up with laundry, sewing, cleaning,

going for fresh food each day, yet they learned to weave prayer

of some sort into their daily activities. If Paul talked about

Jesus’ commandment to love one another and help out all in need,

I am sure these women were organizers of groups to gather extra

food and clothes for others in the community. They surely

ministered to sick persons with what knowledge they had of caring

and curing for others.

Even in Paul’s few words about them leaves the impression

that both of these women were tough, hard working leaders and

doers; type “A” go-getters who took up the cause for Christ and

fell in love with His promise of everlasting life. They each had

an internal urge to do the best they could to share this with

others, but probably in their own style. Euodia may have been

the one with the better cooking skills and food gathering

success, while Syntyche did a wonderful job of pulling together

groups of people to listen to the disciple, and seeking out the

sick and needy in the community. Euodia loved having the small

children around and told them many of the stories in ways they

would better understand. Syntyche dealt very well with the local

leaders and elders, getting them to see how the words of Jesus

Christ are supportive of their traditions and leadership, while

getting the men and their families to open up to new ideas of a

single God (the God of Israel) that created and loved them and

sent Christ to bring His message.

Yet, in all this exciting work of spreading the Good News,

it would only be natural for two leaders to have some clashes in

style and ideas for keeping their church together and strong in

the face of challenges. Paul’s own history of being a persecutor

of the early Christians and a passionate new disciple after his

conversion might lead one to think he would be more direct about

telling these women to stop their disagreement and stay focused

on the work. However, this exhortation is gentle and uplifting,

leading to the impression that he had a soft heart for both of

these women. It seems that they were very memorable to him and he

saw more of the goodness in them than this irksomeness. Paul

pleads with another person to intercede and help them to

reconcile. He bolsters their egos by noting how hard they worked

beside him. He is not reprimanding these people, but encouraging

them. This part of Paul’s letter is a lesson on consolidation.

What is Paul’s method for consolidation? “Rejoice” is his

first step, and he repeats it. How can anyone start to see a

resolution to a problem if all they are focused on is the problem

and their version of it? One must first let go of the problem or

the conflict and center in on what is most important; look first

at what is true to the inner self. Focus first on your own faith

in God and the miraculous gift of eternal life and rejoice! Be

happy and confident in what you believe about Jesus Christ and

let your inner light bring contentment and peace to your own

being. Second step, share your “gentleness” with everyone. Anger,

resentment, worldly worries will not solve problems but only

escalate them. Loving gentleness is like a balm to a wound, when

you present yourself to others as an offer to help and be kind to

them, people are more open and receptive to new ideas or to

discussing what bothers them. And finally, step three, give the

problem to God by praying about it and spilling all the shared

worries and issues out in a joint effort. Asking Euodia and

Syntyche to pray together will help them to feel a sense of unity

about what it is that they share in their faith, and help them to

work with less dissention. Do not worry, rejoice!

Euodia and Syntyche are women of the same faith and this

simple process to help them resolve their differences is very

appropriate. It is a model for how all Christians should look to

resolve differences. It is a model for how people should live

their lives today, yet it is often lost in the secular and self-

indulgent activities that steal away our focus on God. The

weekly tradition of attending a religious service to regain this

focus and joy is fading in today’s world. So many churches are

losing members or are losing active members as their

congregations are aging. Youth activities today are driven by

sports, electronic gadgets and the entertainment business. If

you walked about on a busy city street today and told people to

“Rejoice!” the response would most likely be, “About what?” So

how can Paul’s loving, encouraging letter and simple steps be

brought to light for people in today’s society?

First and foremost, those who know of God’s promise and the

Good News must do step one, and practice rejoicing every day.

The inner strength and glowing faith of the followers of Christ

must be kept focused, with prayer, contemplation, and

thanksgiving daily. Second, the gentleness of Christians must be

shared worldwide as a living example of Christ’s love. Finally,

the prayers of Christians should not be in secret or silent, but

done jointly and openly. There is no one best way to pray, or one

tradition mandated by God, or one livelihood best suited to doing

this work. Sharing prayer lists on email and Facebook,

ecumenical celebrations, missionary trips to local (as well as

foreign) small communities, and demonstrated prayer before meals

in restaurants are examples of sharing gentleness, as Paul

instructed. Instead of just saying “Hello, how are you?” as a

greeting, all Christians should add “God’s peace be with you.”

It is obvious when earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms bring

disasters, that people can focus their energies to do what is

needed to help others. It is the daily struggle of living that

pulls people apart and makes them feel the need to protect their

resources for their own needs. The time to go to a church service

is seen as more valuable for time for themselves in a week packed

with work, school, social groups, chores, and appointments. When

time and money are both limited, an individual may feel it is

better to conserve them, to be safe, to be more secure and to

resist any religious involvement, because ‘obviously’ churches

only want your time and money. When Christians change that

perspective so that others feel the only thing ‘wanted’ by

Christians is shared love and gentleness, the segregation and

isolation from God will diminish. Paul’s steps for consolidation

do work today, if they are followed in order; rejoice, share

gentleness, and give problems to God. This is a lesson well

worth sharing with others.

Teaching this lesson would be best done by an interactive

method. For a Sunday School class, scripting a short play gets

them involved personally. Relating a story as Euodia, Syntyche,

Clement, and others having a disagreement on how the new

Christians should pray, would bring some personal intimacy to the

students. Young people are usually good at understanding the

feelings of people, even if they do not get the underlying

motives. Asking them to act upset and hurt or stubborn is an

easy task. Helping them to carry out the steps of consolidation

from Paul’s letter as scripted would ingrain the process and make

it feel more natural. The ultimate success would be if they could

use the same script lines to help others in their lives to

reconcile by first rejoicing in God and sharing gentleness.

Also, having a ritual in the classroom of always asking Jesus to

take care of problems will also help build faith and confidence.

Paul’s exhortation to Euodia and Syntyche to ‘be of the same

mind in the Lord’ is a wonderful life long guidance for all

Christians and none of us are too young to learn that.