Philippians

Author: The apostle Paul

Audience: The believers at Philippi, a prosperous Roman colony

Date: About ad 61

Theme: Paul writes to encourage the Christians at Philippi to live joyfully in all circumstances.

Introduction

Author, Date and Place of Writing

The early church was unanimous in its testimony that Philippians was written by the apostle Paul (1:1). Internally, the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness. The many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul from other NT books.

It is evident that Paul wrote the letter from prison (1:13–14). Some have argued that this imprisonment took place in Ephesus, perhaps c. ad 53–55; others put it in Caesarea c. 57–59. Best evidence, however, favors Rome as the place of origin and the date as c. 61 (see chart). This fits well with the account of Paul’s house arrest in Ac 28:14–31. When he wrote Philippians, he was not in the Mamertine dungeon as he may have been when he wrote 2 Timothy. He was in his own rented house, where for two years he was free to impart the gospel to all who came to him.

Purpose

Paul’s primary purpose in writing this letter was to thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent him upon learning of his detention at Rome (1:5; 4:10–19). However, he makes use of this occasion to fulfill several other desires: (1) to report on his own circumstances (1:12–26; 4:10–19); (2) to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and to rejoice—regardless of circumstances (1:27–30; 4:4); (3) to exhort them to humility and unity (2:1–11; 4:2–5); (4) to commend Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippian church (2:19–30); and (5) to warn the Philippians against the Judaizers and antinomians (libertines) among them (ch. 3).

Recipients

The city of Philippi (see photo and map) was named after King Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. It was a prosperous Roman colony, which meant that the citizens of Philippi were also citizens of the city of Rome itself. They prided themselves on being Romans (Ac 16:21), dressed like Romans and often spoke Latin. No doubt this was the background for Paul’s reference to the believer’s heavenly citizenship (3:20–21). Many residents of Philippi were retired military men and their families who had been given land in the vicinity and who in turn served as a military presence in this frontier city. That Philippi was a Roman colony may explain why there were not enough Jews there to permit the establishment of a synagogue and why Paul does not quote the OT in the Philippian letter (but see 1:19; Job 13:16 and notes). The church at Philippi was the first one Paul founded in Europe c. ad 50 on his second missionary journey (Ac 16:12–40).

Characteristics

(1) Philippians is a missionary thank-you letter in which the missionary reports on the progress of his work.

(2) It describes a robust, healthy Christian life characterized by: (a) self-humbling (2:1–4); (b) pressing toward the goal (3:13–14); (c) lack of anxiety (4:6); and (d) ability to be content in all circumstances (4:13; but see note there).

(3) It is outstanding as the NT letter of joy; the Greek words for “joy” and “rejoice” occur 14 times.

(4) It contains one of the most profound Christological passages in the NT (2:5–11). Yet even here Paul’s purpose is not to teach theology alone, but to call the church to unity on the basis of the humility and servanthood of Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote to thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent him and to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in the face of persecution and to rejoice—regardless of circumstances.

Outline

I. Greetings (1:1–2)

II. Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Philippians (1:3–11)

III. Paul’s Personal Circumstances (1:12–26)

IV. Exhortations (1:27—2:18)

A. Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel (1:27–30)

B. Following the Servant Attitude of Christ (2:1–18)

V. Paul’s Associates in the Gospel (2:19–30)

A. Timothy (2:19–24)

B. Epaphroditus (2:25–30)

VI. Warnings Against Judaizers and Antinomians (ch. 3)

A. Against Judaizers Wanting Gentiles to Be Circumcised (3:1–16)

B. Against Libertines Over Abusing Their Freedom (3:17–21)

VII. Final Exhortations, Thanks and Conclusion (ch. 4)

A. Exhortations Concerning Various Aspects of the Christian Life (4:1–9)

B. Concluding Testimony and Repeated Thanks (4:10–20)

C. Final Greetings and Benediction (4:21–23)