The book of Philippians

Main theme

A prisoner, Paul rejoices and calls others to joy: the joy of the advancing gospel, of unity in humility after the example of Christ, of knowing Christ above all things, and of the peace of God in every circumstance.

Outline

1. Philippians 1 — Joy in chains

   Gratitude for the Philippians, the gospel advanced by his captivity, and “to me to live is Christ.”

2. Philippians 2 — The joy of humility

   Unity through humility, the hymn to Christ humbled and then exalted, and the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus.

3. Philippians 3 — The joy of knowing Christ

   A warning against confidence in the flesh: everything is loss in order to win Christ and press toward the goal.

4. Philippians 4 — Joy and peace in every circumstance

   Reconciliation, prayer, wholesome thoughts, contentment and thanks for the Philippians’ gift.

Key points

• God will finish what he began: “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it” (1:6).
• Paul’s chains advance the gospel even into the praetorium (1:12-14).
• “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”: for whoever lives in Christ, even death becomes gain (1:21-23).
• The hymn to Christ: he made himself of no reputation and humbled himself to the cross, and God has highly exalted him (2:5-11).
• Paul counts all his privileges of birth and piety as loss compared with the knowledge of Christ (3:5-8).
• The Christian forgets what lies behind and presses toward the mark, a citizen of heaven (3:13-14, 20).
• Prayer with thanksgiving replaces anxiety, and the peace of God guards the heart (4:6-7).
• Paul has learned contentment: he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (4:11-13).

Jesus in Philippians

Philippians contains one of the finest passages on the person of Christ: being in the form of God, he made himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant, humbled himself to the death of the cross, and God has exalted him so that every knee should bow before him (2:6-11; Isa 45:23). He is the life of the believer (1:21), the treasure that surpasses all things (3:8) and the Savior awaited from heaven, who will change our “vile body” that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (3:20-21).

Did you know?

• Although it was written in prison, the letter uses the words “joy” and “rejoice” (with their variants) eighteen times in the King James Version, in only four chapters (for example 1:18; 2:17-18; 4:4).
• It was at Philippi that Paul and Silas, beaten and in chains, sang praises to God at midnight (Acts 16:25); years later, Paul writes again from his bonds: “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (4:4).
• The letter mentions believers of Caesar’s household (4:22): the gospel had reached the very circle of the emperor.