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Introduction to

Philippians1

Overview

Philippians burns with the blazing centrality of the gospel of Christ. The gospel provides a strong sense of coherence and unity to the whole letter. Paul’s opening greeting celebrates the identity that he and the Philippians share through the gospel (Phil. 1:1–2). His prayer of thanksgiving (1:3–8) highlights their partnership in the gospel as God has made them both partakers of grace. Paul’s prayer of intercession boldly asks for greater gospel fruit to abound in their lives (1:9–11).

The main body of the letter opens with an update from Paul concerning the surprising advance of the gospel despite his imprisonment (1:12–26). The thesis of the letter comes with his call to live “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27) as the Philippians stand firm and strive side by side to advance “the faith of the gospel” (1:27–30). Fulfilling this call to walk worthy of the gospel requires a unified gospel mind-set (2:1–4), which shines supremely in the mind of Christ (2:5–11) but also is exemplified in the lives of both Timothy (2:19–24) and Epaphroditus (2:25–30), who put the needs of others before their own for the sake of the gospel. Walking worthy of the gospel is applied with specific exhortations to the Philippians to work out their salvation without grumbling as they shine like stars in the world (2:12–18). Paul then responds to threats to the progress of the gospel: false teachers and their false gospel (3:2–21) and disunity among the Philippians (4:2–3). The letter concludes with a final thanksgiving and greeting (4:10–23) that once again stresses their partnership in the gospel through their financial gifts.

Title

Paul addressed this letter to the saints in Christ Jesus “who are at Philippi” (Phil. 1:1). The city of Philippi was best known in the ancient world as the site of the battle in which Antony and Octavian emerged victorious over Brutus and Cassius (the assassins of Julius Caesar) in 42 BC. Octavian later defeated Antony (31 BC), rebuilt Philippi, and gave it the ius italicum (Italian Right), the highest privilege a colony could obtain.2 The city enjoyed a storied history long before these events. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in 358–357 BC, who named it after himself. The site was situated in a very fertile region 8 miles (12.9 km) from the Aegean Sea and enjoyed an abundance of springs and of gold (Strabo, Geographica 7.331). Philippi became part of the Roman Empire in 168 BC and prospered due to its strategic location along the Via Egnatia (the main land route between Rome and the East). The Acts narrative reveals that the church in Philippi was the first church Paul planted in Europe, c. AD 49–50 (Acts 16:6–40).

Author

Scholarly acceptance of Paul’s authorship is so widespread that an extended discussion is unnecessary. The letter is accepted as Pauline because: (1) it opens with the words “from Paul” and (2) the early church acknowledged Paul’s authorship without dissent.3 The intensely personal nature of the letter further attests to its authenticity. Paul spends significant time discussing his personal circumstances at the beginning (1:12–26) and end (4:10–20). He gives himself as an example multiple times (3:4–14), and first-person pronouns abound.

The turning point in Paul’s story is one of the most radical conversions in human history. Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee and a zealous persecutor of the church. The risen Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus while Saul was traveling to persecute Christians. After his conversion, Saul became perhaps the greatest missionary, theologian, and author in church history, writing thirteen canonical letters.

Date and Occasion

The most probable date for Philippians is sometime between AD 60 and 62, during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome.4 Paul refers to his imprisonment in each of the so-called Prison Epistles (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Phil. 1:7, 13, 14, 16, 17; Col. 4:3, 10; Philem. 1, 9, 10, 13, 23). According to Luke, Paul spent two years in Rome under house arrest, which included the freedom to receive visitors (Acts 28:30).

Paul’s comments in Philippians suggest several pastoral problems and personal concerns. First, Paul had apparently heard a report of disunity among the Philippians, including a specific conflict between two women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul urges them to be united in harmony in the Lord (Phil. 4:2). Second, Paul sounds a serious warning against false teachers and all those who walk as “enemies of the cross” (3:2–21).

Paul also mentions numerous personal concerns. He gives the Philippians an update concerning his own circumstances and the advancement of the gospel (1:12–26). He regards the Philippians as partners in the gospel (1:5) who labor in prayer for him (1:19), and thus naturally Paul wants to inform them of his own personal situation and its relationship to the greater goal of gospel progress. There is evidence of three other personal concerns: (1) Paul commends Timothy so that the Philippians will welcome him when he comes (2:19–23); (2) he informs the Philippians of his own desire to visit them in the future (2:24); (3) he reports on Epaphroditus and his illness (2:25–30).

Genre and Literary Structure

Philippians belongs to the epistolary genre and thus shares common features with other NT epistles. It includes an opening greeting (1:1–2) and thanksgiving/prayer (vv. 3–11) and ends with another thanksgiving (4:10–20) and final greetings (vv. 21–23). The body of the letter does not follow the structure Paul uses in some of his other letters, in which a doctrinal section (Romans 1–11; Ephesians 1–3; Colossians 1–2) is followed by an ethical or application section (Romans 12–16; Ephesians 4–6; Colossians 3–4). Instead, the body of Philippians focuses on exhortations and examples (cf. outline below). Paul crafts a clear thesis statement (Phil. 1:27–30) and repeats three key terms to mark the end of the body (3:20–4:3), creating a “bookend” effect, often called an inclusio (see table 2.1).

TABLE 2.1: The Bookend Effect in Philippians

1:27 3:20–4:3
“Only behave as citizens [politeuomai] worthy of the gospel” (1:27 ESV mg.) “our citizenship [politeuma] is in heaven” (3:20)
“I may hear of you that you are standing firm [stēkō] in one spirit” (1:27) “stand firm [stēkō] thus in the Lord” (4:1)
“striving side by side [synathleō] for the faith of the gospel” (1:27) “who have labored side by side [synathleō] with me in the gospel” (4:3)

Students of ancient letter writing sometimes call Philippians a “letter of friendship.” Others have compared Philippians to the genre of “family letters.” Despite the clear insights these studies have offered, the “friendship” or “family” approach has difficulty accounting for the place of 3:1–4:9 and 4:10–20 in the letter, and some question how much actual light such designations shed on the letter as a whole.5

Theology of Philippians

The Gospel of Christ

Philippians is a sustained, impassioned plea for the centrality of the gospel and for its practical implications. This is seen most comprehensively in Philippians 1:27: live your life in a manner “worthy of the gospel.” Acts of personal and practical obedience (unity, humility, rejoicing; avoiding grumbling or anxiety) not only arise from the gospel but are also necessary for the gospel and its advance.

The Person of Christ

Philippians celebrates the supremacy of Jesus Christ, especially in the “Christ hymn” (2:6–11), which surveys (1) the wonders of Christ’s preexistent state (v. 6), (2) his humble obedience to the Father in every respect (vv. 7–8), and (3) his exalted position as the Lord to whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess (vv. 9–11).

This great passage should not cause readers to neglect the many other passages in Philippians that testify to the centrality of Christ. Few Pauline passages can compare with Philippians 1:21–23 and 3:7–11 in terms of expressing Paul’s all-consuming passion to honor Christ and know him more in this life and the life to come. References to Christ saturate the entire letter, as seen in phrases such as “in Christ,” “in him,” or “in the Lord.” These expressions either convey union with Christ (1:1, 14, 29; 3:9; 4:21) or stress an action in response to or on the basis of Jesus’ person, work, and lordship:

Joy in Christ

Paul uses the noun and verbal forms of “rejoice” and “rejoice with” sixteen times in this short letter. Philippians thus testifies to the deep-rooted reality of joy in the life of a follower of Christ. Delight in Christ is not an optional aspect of Christianity but an essential outgrowth of union with him in the gospel. Joy is an inevitable overflow of progressively perceiving the “surpassing worth” of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord (3:8). Rejoicing in the Lord is also a safeguard (3:1) against all forms of false teaching that seek to make much of the flesh rather than of Christ.

Suffering for Christ

Suffering is an important theological theme often neglected in studying Philippians. Paul’s trying circumstances have served to advance the gospel (1:12–13). He faces the prospect of death in his imprisonment (1:20–21), and Epaphroditus almost died in the cause of the gospel as well (2:27). In the Philippians’ fight for the faith of the gospel (1:27) they too will meet opposition and suffering but must respond without fear (1:28). They must regard their suffering, like their faith, as a gracious gift from God (1:29). This experience of conflict mirrors Paul’s suffering, which the Philippians witnessed in the past and now hear about in the present (1:30).

Paul mentions the suffering of Christ on the cross (2:8) and regards his own suffering as a fellowship in Christ’s sufferings and conformity to his death (3:10). Furthermore, Paul can endure suffering (like hunger and poverty; 4:12) through the strength Christ gives (4:13). Joy and suffering are especially illuminating themes in light of Paul’s rejoicing at midnight in a Philippian prison after being beaten with rods (Acts 16:16–25).

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Even though Philippians does not contain any explicit OT quotations, Paul’s use of the OT is surprisingly rich and deep at key places in the letter. He draws upon Job 13:16 to express his confident assurance of salvation (Phil. 1:19), while Psalm 34:3–5 provides a bright backdrop for his expectation that he would not be put to shame in anything, while Christ would be magnified (Phil. 1:20). The thesis section of 1:27–29 borrows language and imagery of the salvation of God’s people and destruction of God’s enemies at the exodus (Ex. 14:13).

The “Christ hymn” of Philippians 2:6–11 is a poetic intertextual tapestry that skillfully weaves together threads from Isaiah 45:14–25 and 52:13–53:12. The most striking similarity is the unique progression of thought, in both passages, from exaltation to humiliation and then back to exaltation. The following passage (Phil. 2:12–17) draws upon several OT passages to describe a contrast between the disobedience of the Israelites as the old covenant people of God and the obedience of the Philippians as God’s new covenant people (cf. Ex. 16:7–12; Num. 17:5, 10; Deut. 31:27; 32:5). The Philippians shine like the stars of Daniel 12 as they hold strong to God’s words (Phil. 2:15–16; cf. Dan. 12:3). The commentary will highlight other echoes of the OT that Paul employs throughout Philippians.

Preaching from Philippians

Philippians is pure expositional gold. Many people count it as one of their favorite books because of its many familiar and well-loved verses and phrases, such as, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21); “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (2:9); “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4); “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (4:13). The blessing of preaching through Philippians in an expository way is that the preacher can show how these familiar phrases fit together to form one profoundly challenging and inspiring message. People will love Philippians even more when they can see it as one grand picture instead of many disconnected pieces.

Interpretive Challenges

The question of place of writing (sometimes called “provenance”) is one of the most contested issues concerning Philippians. Paul clearly identifies himself as a prisoner (1:7, 13, 17), but he does not explicitly state the location of this imprisonment. The Philippians knew the place of imprisonment and thus did not need to be told. The two main contenders for the place of writing are Rome and Ephesus.

The traditional view places this imprisonment in Rome. A Roman imprisonment hypothesis would account for: (1) the mentions of the “imperial guard” (or “praetorium”; 1:13 ESV mg.) and Caesar’s household (4:22); (2) the loose restrictions implied by his activity during his imprisonment (e.g., 1:12–13; cf. Acts 28:16, 30–31); (3) references to a seemingly well-established church (1:14); (4) external evidence (the Marcionite prologue to Philippians), and (5) the “life or death” nature of this imprisonment—Paul could have appealed to Caesar while under any other imprisonment.

Until recent times, the Roman hypothesis was held almost universally. However, scholars began to point out two main areas of weakness in this traditional view, related to geography and Paul’s travel plans. First, the distance between Philippi and Rome (about 1,200 miles/1,900 km) renders as problematic the number of journeys implied in Philippians (perhaps as many as seven). Second, Romans mentions Paul’s intention to travel to Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28), while Philippians states that Paul plans to visit Philippi if he is released (Phil. 2:24).

Since 1897, the Roman hypothesis has been eclipsed by the Ephesian hypothesis, first set forward by Adolf Deissmann. This view currently enjoys broad support for the following reasons: (1) Paul’s mention of many imprisonments (2 Cor. 11:23) (despite there being no mention in Acts of an Ephesian imprisonment); (2) the close proximity of Ephesus to Philippi; (3) the close literary affinity of Philippians to Paul’s earlier letters; (4) inscriptions showing that a section of the imperial guard was stationed at Ephesus; and (5) Paul’s failure to mention Luke, who was with him in Rome (2 Tim. 4:11) but probably not during his Ephesian ministry (the stint in Ephesus not being a first-person section in Acts).

However, the Ephesian hypothesis also faces some objections: (1) the theory is built on implicit inferences, because there is no explicit mention of an imprisonment in Ephesus; (2) the Ephesian church does not seem to be divided over Paul, as a reading of Philippians would require, if one were to accept this hypothesis; (3) the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem was of central importance during Paul’s Ephesian ministry, but there is no hint of it in Philippians; and (4) Paul speaks somewhat harshly about those around him except for Timothy (Phil. 2:19–21), which would be a strange way to characterize Ephesus, since his friends Priscilla and Aquila were there at the same time as Paul.

The choice between Rome and Ephesus is exceedingly difficult. Scholars weigh the geographical arguments against a Roman imprisonment in various ways. Some treat it as the lynchpin issue, while others regard it as irrelevant. Many scholars occupy a middle position and acknowledge the geographical arguments are somewhat exaggerated by both camps. The supposed literary affinities between Philippians and earlier letters may not lend any persuasive proof either way.

The arguments for Philippians being written from Rome are slightly stronger because they assume a known imprisonment, enjoy some external evidence, and have a long-standing tradition. These considerations put the burden of proof on the Ephesian hypothesis.

Outline

  1. I. Letter Opening: Greetings and Thanksgiving for Gospel Partnership (1:1–11)
    1. A. Opening Greetings (1:1–2)
      1. 1. Author (1:1a)
      2. 2. Recipients (1:1b)
      3. 3. Greetings (1:2)
    2. B. Prayer of Thanksgiving (1:3–8)
      1. 1. Thank God for the Philippians (1:3–5)
      2. 2. Thank God He Finishes What He Starts (1:6)
      3. 3. Thankfulness Is a Fitting Frame of Mind (1:7–8)
    3. C. Prayer of Intercession (1:9–11)
      1. 1. Request (1:9)
      2. 2. Purpose (1:10a)
      3. 3. Result (1:10b–11).
  2. II. Main Body: Gospel Exhortations and Examples (1:12–4:9)
    1. A. Main Body Opening: Gospel Progress and Paul’s Example (1:12–26)
      1. 1. The Present Progress of the Gospel (1:12–18b)
        1. a. Surprising Progress (1:12)
        2. b. Progress among Nonbelievers (1:13)
        3. c. Progress among Believers (1:14)
        4. d. Potential Trouble for Paul (1:15–17)
        5. e. Paul’s Resolute Choice to Rejoice (1:18ab)
      2. 2. The Future Progress of the Gospel (1:18c–26)
        1. a. Joyful Confidence in Future Salvation (1:18c–19)
        2. b. Courageous Conviction to Magnify Christ (1:20–21)
        3. c. Seeking the Interests of Others (1:22–26)
    2. B. Main Body (1:27–4:3)
      1. 1. Exhortation: Gospel Citizenship (1:27–30)
        1. a. The Call of Gospel Citizenship (1:27a)
        2. b. The Purpose for the Call (1:27b–28)
        3. c. The Reason for the Call (1:29–30)
      2. 2. Exhortation: Gospel Thinking (2:1–4)
        1. a. Shared Gospel Blessings (2:1)
        2. b. The Call for a Shared Gospel Thinking (2:2ab)
        3. c. Specific Gospel Dos and Don’ts (2:2c–4)
      3. 3. Example: Christ (2:5–11)
        1. a. The Call: Have the Mind of Christ (2:5)
        2. b. The Example: Christ Made Himself Low (2:6–8)
        3. c. The Response: God Raised Him High (2:9–11)
      4. 4. Exhortation: Gospel Working (2:12–18)
        1. a. The Command: Work Out Your Salvation (2:12)
        2. b. The Ground: God Is Working His Good Pleasure in You (2:13)
        3. c. The Application: God’s Children Shine (2:14–18)
      5. 5. Example: Timothy (2:19–24)
        1. a. Paul Hopes to Send Timothy Soon (2:19)
        2. b. Timothy’s Uniqueness (2:20)
        3. c. Others Seek Their Own Interests (2:21)
        4. d. Timothy’s Provenness (2:22)
        5. e. Paul Hopes to Send Timothy Soon and He Trusts That He Himself Will Visit Soon (2:23–24)
      6. 6. Example: Epaphroditus (2:25–30)
        1. a. The Situation: Sending Back Epaphroditus (2:25–28)
        2. b. The Call: Receive Epaphroditus and Honor People like Him (2:29)
        3. c. The Rationale: He Risked His Life for the Needs of Others (2:30)
      7. 7. Exhortation: Gospel Rejoicing (3:1–3)
        1. a. The Call to Rejoice in the Lord (3:1)
          1. (1) Rejoice in the Lord (3:1a)
          2. (2) The Rationale for Rejoicing (3:1b)
        2. b. The Counterfeit Claims of the False Teachers (3:2)
          1. (1) Dogs (3:2a)
          2. (2) Evildoers (3:2b)
          3. (3) Mutilators (3:2c)
        3. c. The Genuine Gospel Identity of the Philippians (3:3)
          1. (1) True Circumcision (3:3a)
          2. (2) Worship by the Spirit (3:3b)
          3. (3) Glory in Christ Jesus/No Confidence in the Flesh (3:3c)
      8. 8. Example: Paul (3:4–14)
        1. a. Paul’s Former Life: Confidence in the Flesh (3:4–6)
          1. (1) Confidence in Pedigree (3:4–5a)
          2. (2) Confidence in Performance (3:5b–6)
        2. b. Paul’s Conversion: Singular Confidence in Christ (3:7–11)
          1. (1) Former Things Counted as Loss for the Sake of Christ (3:7)
          2. (2) Everything Counted as Loss and Dung Compared to Knowing Christ (3:8–11)
        3. c. Paul’s Current Life: Singular Pursuit of Christ (3:12–14)
          1. (1) Paul Has Not Attained Perfection or Resurrection (3:12–13)
          2. (2) Paul Presses On for the Prize of the Heavenly Call (3:14)
      9. 9. Exhortation: Gospel Imitation (3:15–4:1)
        1. a. The Call: Imitate Paul and All Who Follow His Example (3:15–17)
        2. b. The Reason: There Are Two Different Destinations (3:18–21)
        3. c. The Conclusion: Stand Firm in the Lord (4:1)
      10. 10. Exhortation: Gospel Application (4:2–3)
        1. a. The Need for Gospel Reconciliation (4:2)
        2. b. The Need for Gospel Mediation (4:3)
    3. C. Main Body Closing: Final Exhortations (4:4–9)
      1. 1. Rejoice Always (4:4)
      2. 2. Be Gentle with Everyone (4:5)
      3. 3. Be Anxious about Nothing (4:6a)
      4. 4. Pray about Everything (4:6b–7)
      5. 5. Think about All the Right Things (4:8)
      6. 6. Put Everything into Practice (4:9)
  3. III. Letter Closing: Final Thanksgiving and Greetings (4:10–23)
    1. A. Thanksgiving for Gospel Partnership (4:10–20)
      1. 1. First Thank You (4:10–13)
        1. a. Acknowledgment (4:10a)
        2. b. Explanation (4:10b)
        3. c. Qualifier (4:11–13)
      2. 2. Second Thank You (4:14–17)
        1. a. Acknowledgment (4:14)
        2. b. Explanation (4:15–16)
        3. c. Qualifier (4:17)
      3. 3. Third Thank You (4:18–20)
        1. a. Acknowledgment (4:18)
        2. b. Explanation (4:19)
        3. c. Doxology (4:20)
    2. B. Final Greetings (4:21–23)
      1. 1. Greet Every Saint (4:21)
      2. 2. Greetings from All the Saints (4:22)
      3. 3. Grace (4:23)

1 I am drawing some introductory information from a chapter on the Prison Epistles that I wrote for Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, The Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (Nashville: B&H, 2009). See chapter 14.

2 This gave the colony the right to be treated by law as if it were located in Italy, and thus citizens were exempt from the imperial tax.

3 The early church fathers Polycarp of Smyrna, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian all unanimously accepted Pauline authorship. This consensus was momentarily questioned in the nineteenth century by thinkers like F. C. Baur. Baur concluded that Paul wrote only Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Galatians. Baur’s views have not convinced many.

4 The date for Philippians depends on the place of writing. A date as early as AD 54 or as late as 62 is possible. The traditional dating of Paul’s Roman imprisonment would place the letter in the early 60s. If Paul wrote from Ephesus, the letter could be dated between 54 and 57.

5 Moisés Silva in particular has detailed doubts about the friendship model. For him the specific issue is, “Nowhere in Philippians does Paul make explicit reference (or unambiguous allusion) to the Greco-Roman concept of friendship,” and “The main body of the letter (from 1:12 to the end of ch. 3) provides very little evidence, if any, in support of this view” (Moisés Silva, Philippians, 2nd ed., BECNT [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005], 19).