Paul's Letter to the Philippians
Philippians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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My favorite(?!) NT Letter
Memorized in 6th grade
An encouraging book for believers going through suffering
text: Background of Philippians in Acts
1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
6 After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.
7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.
8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9 During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.
12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
14 Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
16 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
18 She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.
19 When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.
20 They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
21 by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.
23 And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
24 On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.
34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
35 When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”
36 The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”
37 But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”
38 So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39 They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.
40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
PRAY
Author: The Apostle Paul
Author: The Apostle Paul
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Though Paul mentions Timothy in v. 1, clearly the letter is from Paul as he writes in the 1st person singular and in ch. 2 he refers to Timothy in the 3rd person. Timothy was well known to these believers, and some scholars have suggested that Timothy may have served as Paul’s secretary.
- Paul’s background, call, missionary journeys
Paul was Jewish (Saul was his Jewish name), from the tribe of Benjamin, though he also had Roman citizenship from birth.
He was born in the city of Tarsus of Cilicia, a Roman province in modern Southeast Turkey, but he was raised in Jerusalem.
He was educated by a highly respected Pharisee named Gamaliel, and he became an extremely strict and zealous Pharisee himself - so zealous that he persecuted Christians because they contradicted his understanding of the Jewish law by claiming that Jesus is the Messiah and Lord.
Acts 9 tells the story of his miraculous conversion to Christ (and he repeats the story in Acts 22 and Acts 26). He was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians there, when suddenly a light shone from heaven and blinded him. He heard the voice of Jesus asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” - to persecute the Church was to persecute Jesus Himself. Jesus then told him to go to Damascus and await instructions.
Paul’s companions took him to Damascus, where he met Ananias who gave him God’s message that Paul would be a missionary to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Immediately he began preaching that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited King from David’s line who came to rescue us.
After a few years of ministry, Paul was chosen along with Barnabas and they were sent out to proclaim the Gospel to Gentiles. Paul took at least three distinct missionary journeys recorded in Acts (the 2nd and 3rd were with Silas instead of Barnabas).
He founded the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey.
Date and Circumstances
Date and Circumstances
- Paul wrote Philippians around A.D. 62, probably near the end of his imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28)
Following his third missionary journey, he returned to Jerusalem, where he was arrested following a riot. (Acts 21)
He stood trial before the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) in Acts 23.
He stood trial before Roman governors Felix and Festus (Acts 24-25) and Jewish ruler Herod Agrippa (Acts 26)
Because of the corruption of Governor Festus, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar (the emperor of Rome), and since he was a Roman citizen, he had the right to be tried in Rome.
Acts 27 records the trip to Rome in which they suffered shipwreck along the way before finally making it to Rome.
The book of Acts closes in ch. 28 with Paul in prison (house arrest?) in Rome awaiting his trial
30 Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him.
31 Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
During his time under house arrest, Paul wrote some of his letters, including Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, and possibly also 1 Timothy and Titus (Maybe others too that we don’t have)
Most likely Paul was released for a time after this imprisonment as he expresses in Philippians 1. He was later re-arrested a few years later and executed in Rome with a sword according to Church tradition.
Multiple times in Philippians Paul refers to his circumstances in Rome, for example
“my chains”
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me.
“my chains” / “chains” / “palace guard” (Praetorium) in v. 13-14
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.
13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
14 And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.
“the household of Caesar”
22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those from the household of Caesar.
So Paul was imprisoned in Rome, writing to the believers in Philippi.
Recipients: Believers at Philippi
Recipients: Believers at Philippi
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
The city of Philippi, the church, leaders
Philippi: an important city in the region of Macedonia (Acts 16:12)
12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
Apparently mostly Gentiles lived there (very little Jewish presence) - Paul always went to a synagogue first if there was one, but no synagogue is mentioned in his time in Philippi. Instead,
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.
This indicates that few Jews lived there, since only 10 Jewish men were needed to form a synagogue.
The church in Philippi started with Paul’s trip in Acts 16; the only converts mentioned there were Lydia and her household and the jailer and his household. By the end of Acts 16 it reports a church meeting at Lydia’s house:
40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
It’s likely that Paul visited this church a couple of other times besides the one recorded visit in Acts 16. Over time, this church has grown a bit and now has men serving as overseers and deacons (more next week!), so likely it is significantly larger than when Paul first founded it.
Structure of the Letter
Structure of the Letter
Introductory greeting (1:1-2)
Prayer and thanksgiving (1:3-11)
Update on Paul’s circumstances and his desire to visit the Philippians (1:12-26)
Teachings on unity and humility & examples of humility in action (1:27-2:30)
Warnings against false teachers (3:1-3, 17-19)
Teaching on righteousness (3:4-16)
Practical instructions for the Christian life (3:20-4:9)
Thanks to the Philippians for their gift (4:10-20)
Conclusion (4:21-23)
Purpose of the Letter
Purpose of the Letter
Update, Thanks, Encouragement
Update on Paul’s situation and Epaphroditus
Thanksgiving for the gift from the Philippians
Further instructions and encouragement in the Christian life
Themes and Key Verses
Themes and Key Verses
The Philippians’ Support for Paul
1:5, 19; 2:25; 4:10, 14-19
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
“partnership” (KJV, “fellowship”) translates koinonia, a Greek word that speaks of sharing something together, often even implying financial help — this fits well with the context of Philippians
19 because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.
just as we pray for our missionaries, the Philippians were praying for Paul
25 But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.
The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to minister to Paul in prison apparently. Just as many churches send mission teams to help and support a missionary or ministry.
15 And as you Philippians know, in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving.
16 For even while I was in Thessalonica, you provided for my needs again and again.
A major reason for this epistle is that Paul wants to express his thanks for the faithful support of the church in Philippi and to ask for their continued support.
The Advance of the Gospel
1:5, 7, 12, 15-18, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.
27 Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Unity through Humility
1:27; 2:1-11; 4:2-3
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
Warnings against false teachings
3:1-3, 17-19
These false teachers/teachings don’t seem to be currently influencing the church at Philippi, Paul just wants them to be aware of them and be on guard against them.
Judaizers - strict observance of Jewish laws
2 Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
Gentile libertines - live however you want
18 For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Suffering for Christ
1:12-14, 20-21, 29-30; 2:30; 3:8-11; 4:11-13
Death was a real possibility for Paul as he awaited trial before the emperor
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Suffering is a privilege - a “grace” for every believer
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
Epaphroditus nearly died serving Christ
30 because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me.
Paul was content in every circumstance, even suffering, because He had Christ.
11 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.
12 I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Joy in the Lord
1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10
4 In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy,
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
It’s easy to be or at least appear joyful when times are easy; but the true test if our joy is in the Lord is in times of suffering; Paul serves as a great example for us in this.
The Message of Philippians
The Message of Philippians
There is great joy when we give ourselves completely to God and work together with other believers to accomplish His purposes and advance the gospel of Christ even in the midst of suffering.
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For Further Study and Application
Part of Paul’s reason for writing Philippians was to teach these believers how to respond properly to suffering and opposition. What kind of opposition did Paul and the Philippians face (who was opposing them and why)? (See Philippians 1:7, 12-18, 27-30; 3:1-3, 17-19; 4:2-3; also Acts 16:19-21; 17:4-7)
In what ways is the church at Philippi a good example for us to imitate? (see Philippians 1:5, 19; 2:25; 4:10, 14-19)
In what ways did they still need significant growth? (see Philippians 1:27-30; 2:1-4; 4:2-3, 6-7)
What is joy? How can you have joy during times of suffering? (see Romans 8:28-29)
