Philippians 1

Letter of Joy

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians

Hilda Bright

Introduction

The church at Philippi

Luke described the city called Philippi as a *Roman ‘*colony’ (Acts 16:12). The *emperor Augustus allowed retired soldiers to live there after they had supported him in a battle in 31 *BC. As a *Roman *colony, its citizens possessed the same rights and laws as those who lived in Italy. Paul and Silas, with Timothy and Luke, established the church there after they crossed from Asia into Europe (Acts 16:12-40). Paul visited Philippi again on his third journey (Acts 20:1-6). It was a group of Christians of whom Paul was very fond. He called its members his ‘joy and crown’ (4:1). The Christians in Philippi were not rich, but they supported Paul with more than one gift of money. They also gave money for the poor Christians in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

The purpose of Paul’s letter

Paul wanted:

1 to thank the Christians at Philippi for the gifts that they had sent him by Epaphroditus.

2 to inform the Christians at Philippi about his own circumstances. He also wanted to tell them that Epaphroditus had recovered from his dangerous illness. He was returning to Philippi.

3 to appeal for unity and for the end of quarrels in the church.

4 to warn them about false *doctrine, especially that of *Jewish Christians who insisted on *circumcision for *Gentiles.

5 to urge them to remain loyal to their *faith and to stand firm against *opponents.

Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. He was not sure of the result of a *trial. Some writers suggest that the prison was in Ephesus or Caesarea. But it is more likely that he was in Rome. He probably wrote this letter at the end of the two years that we read about in Acts 28:30.

Chapter 1

The greeting 1:1-2

v1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all the believers in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the leaders and helpers. v2 *Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the *Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 1 Paul begins his letter in the usual polite way that people wrote letters at that time. He was the author of the letter. He always used ‘I’. Timothy may have written it for him. We know that people very often used a secretary. (Romans 16:22 mentions Tertius.) Timothy had been with Paul when he established the church at Philippi (Acts 16). Paul mentions Timothy in his greeting to the Christians at Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:1) and Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:2 Thessalonians 1:1). The two other letters from prison also refer to Timothy (Colossians 1:1 and Philemon 1:1). He praises Timothy to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:10-11).

‘servants of Christ Jesus’. The word for ‘servant’ really means ‘slave’. Paul does not refer to himself here as an *apostle, as he does in other letters. The Christians at Philippi knew him well. He did not have to emphasise his authority. Paul and Timothy were different in age. ‘Do not let anyone *scorn you because you are young’ (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul had taught Timothy about the Christian *gospel (2 Timothy 1:1). So they both had the same Master. Both were Christ’s ‘slaves’, with the same honour and responsibility to serve him.

‘all the believers in Christ Jesus’. Paul writes to ‘all’ and he uses this word many times. He prays for them all (1:4). He loves them all (1:7). He would like to be with them all (1:8). And he would like to stay with them all (1:25). His final greetings are to them all (4:21). He therefore reminds the Christians that divisions and quarrels are wrong. None of them was outside Paul’s interest in how well they were all living their Christian lives.

‘the believers in Christ Jesus’. The word that Paul uses for ‘believers’ actually means ‘holy people’. It means people whom God has put apart for himself.

‘in Christ Jesus’ means those who trust in Jesus. So they have his holy life inside them. So they must live a holy life. God is separate from human people because he is perfect. God called Israel to be a ‘holy nation’ (Exodus 19:6). He wanted them to show other nations what he is like. Christians too must be ‘holy’.

‘the leaders and helpers’ are church officers and officials. They are there to encourage the other Christians. They should also protect them. The *Greek word for ‘helpers’ means ‘those who serve other people’. They are like the seven Christians whom the *apostles appointed (Acts 6:1-6). They appointed them to distribute food to poor widows. These leaders and helpers may have organised the gift of money that the Christians at Philippi sent to Paul. Perhaps Paul mentions them in order to show their authority. Then they will be able to deal with problems in the church.

‘Grace and peace’. The *Greek word ‘charis’, grace, means God’s generous free gift. He gives it because of His love for people. They do not deserve it and they cannot earn it. ‘Peace’ is like the *Hebrew word ‘shalom’, that *Jews still use as a greeting. People become at peace with God because of the work and *sacrifice of Jesus, and at peace with each other. All good gifts come from God (James 1:17). Both grace and peace come from him. ‘Our Father’ reminds Christians of the honour that they have as members of God’s family.

‘The *Lord Jesus Christ’ brings his Father’s *grace and peace to men. The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘the person who saves’. Jesus came as a human *being in order to rescue men and women from *sin. The name ‘Christ’ means the *Anointed Man, who is both king and priest. As ‘*Lord’ he is now in the place of honour with God. He is the Master to whom everyone should give loyal service.

Paul gives thanks to God 1:3-8

v3 I thank my God for you every time that I think of you. v4 And I thank God every time that I pray for you all. I pray with joy. v5 This is because you have helped me in the work of the *gospel from the very first day until now. v6 God began this good work in you. And I am sure that he will continue it. He will do so until it is complete. It will be complete on the day of Christ Jesus. v7 It is right for me to think about you all in this way. That is because I think about you always with love. And you have all shared with me in this honour that God has given me. You have shared it now that I am in chains. Before that, I was defending and establishing the *gospel. And you shared with me then too. v8 God is my witness that my great love for you is the love of Christ Jesus himself.

Verse 3 Paul emphasises his personal *faith by saying ‘my’ God. Some translations say that Paul thanks God because the Christians at Philippi think about him. Verses 3 and 5 mean that he thanks God for two things. He thanks God for the gift of money. But he also thanks God for their *spiritual help as they pray for him.

When Paul was in Philippi, several of them helped him. They helped him as he told people the good news about Jesus (4:3).

Verse 4 The word ‘joy’ is typical of this letter and Paul uses it many times. Although Paul is in prison, he still has very much joy.

Verse 6 Paul had brought the *gospel to Philippi. But he still realised that it was God’s work. He knew that God would continue his *grace to the Christians at Philippi. What God has begun, he will complete. The ‘day of Christ Jesus’ is the day when Jesus comes again.

Verse 7 ‘in chains’ means ‘in prison’ and may describe actual chains.

‘defending and establishing the *gospel’ has two possible meanings:

1 Paul’s work as he explained the *gospel before his arrest, and

2 his appearance in front of a judge. He ‘defended’ the *gospel. (He answered those who had doubts about it.) Also, some people accused the gospel of things that were not true. He answered those people too. He ‘established’ it, when he stated its true meaning. This may have been the first part of his *trial.

Verse 7-8 Paul writes about his great love for the Christians at Philippi. They have shared with him by sending him more than one gift of money (4:16). They still share with him by their prayers. They still share God’s *grace with him.

Paul’s prayer 1:9-11

v9 I pray all the time that your love will keep on increasing in knowledge and *spiritual intelligence. v10 This is so that you will be able to approve the best things. I want you to be free from anything that is not pure. I want you to be without blame until the day when Christ returns. v11 I want you to have the true goodness that only Jesus Christ can give. As other people see this goodness in your lives, they will give honour and praise to God.

Verse 9 Their ‘love’ is not yet perfect. An increase in their knowledge of God will increase their love for each other. And ‘*spiritual intelligence’ will also help them to decide which things are really important.

Verse 10 ‘approve’ translates a special word. People used it when they tested coins or metal. They must approve only what has passed the test. The word ‘pure’ means genuine or sincere. The words ‘without blame’ mean that they have not caused other people to do wrong things.

Some translations show that ‘until’ the day does not mean ‘until the time’. Instead, it means ‘in preparation for’.

Verse 11 Paul wants the Christians at Philippi to show the good results of Christ’s life in them. Paul calls these results ‘fruit’ in Galatians 5:22. It can only come by Jesus Christ. Apart from him, Christians can do nothing to produce such fruit (John 15:5). It is only this fruit that brings honour and praise to God.

The results of the fact that Paul is in prison 1:12-14

v12 Now, the things that have happened to me have helped the *gospel to advance. And I want you Christian brothers and sisters to know that. v13 As a result, all of the *emperor’s own special guard and all the other people here know why I am in prison. It is because I am a servant of Christ. v14 And the fact that I am in prison has given most of the other Christians more confidence in the *Lord. Therefore they talk about God’s message much more bravely and they are not afraid.

Verse 12 ‘I want you... to know’ suggests that Paul is replying to a message from the Christians at Philippi. They are worried about his coming *trial and what the result will be for the *gospel.

‘brothers’. Paul uses this word for Christians, both men and women. He wants to remind them that they all belong to God’s one family.

‘to advance’ means to go forward, because everyone knew why he was in prison.

Verse 13 ‘all of the *emperor’s own special guard’. The *Roman *emperor’s own special guard consisted of nine thousand men. A member of this guard would be with Paul. The guard changed duties every four hours. So, more and more of the soldiers would hear about Paul and why he was in prison.

‘and all the other people here’. The news would spread, so that many other people would hear about Christ.

Verse 14 There was a second result of the fact that Paul was in prison. The Christians at Rome became aware of his courage and the strength of his *faith. So most of them gained courage too and began to talk about the *gospel without fear.

Two different reasons why people are declaring the *gospel 1:15-17

v15 Some of them speak about Christ because they are jealous. Or they speak about him because they want to compete against me. But some speak about Christ for good reasons. v16 These people do so from love. God has given me the work of defending the *gospel. And they know that. v17 The other people do not *preach about Christ for sincere reasons but from selfish ambition. They hope to make things worse for me while I am in prison.

Verses 15, 17 There were Christians in Rome before Paul arrived. People probably knew some of these well and respected them. Then Paul arrived. And people came to know him well, although he was in prison. So the other Christians lost some of their fame. They became jealous and they wanted to attract attention to themselves again. This is the most probable cause of their wrong attitude.

Paul wishes to bring honour to Christ by his life or death 1:18-26

v18 It does not matter. I am happy so long as people talk about Christ, whether for wrong or right reasons. I shall continue to be happy. v19 I know this: By your prayers, and with help from the Spirit of the *Lord Jesus, I will become free. That is why I shall continue to be happy. v20 My great desire and hope is that I shall never be ashamed about anything. I hope that, as always, so now I will be without fear. I hope that I will give honour to Jesus in my body. I want to do that, whether I live or die. v21 For me to live is Christ. And to die will be gain. v22 If I continue to live in this world, then I shall be able to do more useful work. But I do not know which to choose. v23 It is extremely difficult to decide. I want very much to leave this life and to be with Christ. That would be very much better. v24 But for your benefit it is more important that I remain alive. v25 I am sure of this. And so I know that I shall stay. I shall be able to help you all to make progress in the *faith. And I shall be able to help you to have more joy. v26 So you will be able to praise Jesus Christ when I come to visit you again.

Verses 18b-19 Paul continues to be happy, and confident that the *Romans will free him. He gives two reasons for that. One reason is that the Christians at Philippi are praying for him. Paul is praying for them (1:4). And he knows that they are asking God to free him. He knows well the power of prayer (Ephesians 3:20). But our prayers do not remain alone. The Holy Spirit helps us. The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised would help both Paul and the Christians at Philippi.

Verse 20 Paul does not want to be ashamed. Perhaps he is thinking that he might not complete his work for Christ. Perhaps he is thinking that he might have a lack of courage in front of a judge. His whole desire is to bring honour to Christ, whether he continues to live or not. He may live. Then, he can bring honour to Christ by continuing his work as an *apostle. If he dies, he will be a loyal witness to the strength of his *faith.

Verse 21 ‘to live is Christ’. This can mean:

1 Paul has the power to live in the right way. That is because Christ ‘lives in him’ (Galatians 2:20).

2 The only reason for Paul’s life is to bring honour and praise to Christ. To love and serve Christ is life.

‘to die will be gain’. This can mean:

1 For Paul himself (as for all Christians) death will mean to be ‘at home with the *Lord’ in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). There he will be completely free from *sin. Pain and trouble will end. There he will know great joy and he will receive his reward after his struggle (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

2 If Paul dies, his death will be a witness to the *faith. So even his death will help the *gospel to spread. A later Christian writer said, ‘The blood of *martyrs is like the seed of the church.’

Verse 22 If Paul goes on living, he will be able to go on encouraging Christians. And he will be able to establish new churches. He knows that his work will be ‘useful’. ‘Your work (for the *Lord) will not be without value. Since you belong to the *Lord, you can be sure about that.’ (See 1 Corinthians 15:58.)

Verse 23 Paul’s great desire is to ‘leave this life’. The *Greek word means ‘to move a tent’. Paul wanted to leave the temporary home of his body for a permanent home in heaven.

Verse 24 What the Christians at Philippi needed was more important to Paul than his own desires. The Christians at Philippi formed a young church with many good qualities but some weaknesses. They were also in danger from false *doctrine. Therefore Paul was willing to postpone his joy in heaven in order to help them.

Verses 25, 26 Paul wants them to make progress in their *faith. They must love each other more (1:9). They must work together more (2:2). And they must become able to approve the best things (1:10). As their *faith grows, so will their joy.

Paul first visited them on his second journey (Acts 16:12-40) and again during his third visit to Macedonia (2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Acts 20:5). At the end of Acts, Paul is in prison in Rome. We do not know if he ever saw the Christians at Philippi again.

Paul urges the Christians at Philippi to fight together for the *faith 1:27-30

v27 More importantly than anything else, behave as citizens who bring honour to the *gospel of Christ. I may come and see you. Or I may not. In either case, I want to hear that you remain firm and united. I hope to know that you are fighting side by side for the *gospel. v28 And I hope to know that you are not afraid of your *opponents. Your courage will be a sign to them of their *destruction. But it will be proof to you of your *salvation that comes from God. v29 This is because you do not only have the honour to believe in Christ. You also have the honour to suffer for him. v30 You have to fight the same battle as you saw me fight. And you hear that I am still fighting it now.

Verse 27 Paul speaks about their way of life as citizens. He means as citizens of Rome. He also means as citizens of the *kingdom of heaven. He speaks directly about their home in heaven in 3:20. To be *Roman citizens meant to obey *Roman laws. It also meant to enjoy the benefits that they gave. And they could be proud of those benefits too. In the same way, the *gospel brings *blessings but also responsibilities. The Christians’ behaviour should be of the highest standard. Paul is not yet sure whether he will be able to visit them. And he reminds them about that. His absence should make no difference. He wants to know that his appeal to them has been successful. He wants to know that they are united. And he wants to know that their *faith remains strong. They need to fight close together as *Roman soldiers did in close lines. They are fighting ‘for’ the *gospel. They are not merely defending it. They are also struggling to spread the good news about Christ.

Verse 28 ‘afraid of’ comes from a special *Greek word. It describes how horses behave. When something surprises them, they jump up. And they rush away from it. Dangerous things, that they do not expect, may happen to the Christians at Philippi. Even then, they must show courage.

Their ‘*opponents’ may have been any or all of these things:

1 *Jews who opposed the Christian *faith. When Paul first visited Philippi, there were very few *Jews in the city. But the situation may have changed and perhaps there were now more *Jews in Philippi. They might be causing bad feelings against Christians.

2 *Gentiles, including *Roman officials, whose attitude to the church was changing. They were just beginning to turn against Christians.

3 False teachers of two kinds:

• *Jewish Christians who said that *Gentiles must have *Jewish *circumcision first. And only then could they become Christians (3:23).

• Those who made God’s *grace an excuse for allowing all their physical desires to control them (1:6).

Verse 28 ‘a sign of their *destruction’. Their *opponents will see that they are wrong. Paul himself once thought that he was right to attack Christians. He failed. It was their *faith in Jesus that made Christians strong. And Paul knew that now.

Verses 29, 30 Pain and trouble were gifts of God’s *grace, when they were on behalf of Christ. Such pain and trouble were a sign that their *faith was genuine. They were sharing the same struggle as Paul himself. That struggle was like the great effort of a runner who was trying to win a race. They had seen what had happened to Paul at Philippi. There, the crowd opposed him. People hit him and they put him in prison (Acts chapter 16). They had heard about what Paul had to suffer in prison in Rome.

Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
colony ~ a place abroad that the Romans set up and controlled.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
emperor ~ a very important king.
BC ~ 600 BC means the year that was 600 years before Jesus came to earth, and so on.
doctrine ~ ideas that people teach.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.'circumcise, circumcision ~ to cut the skin from the end of the sex part of a boy or man; for Israelites it was a mark to show that the person agreed to obey God.
Israelite ~ one of the people of Israel; someone who speaks Hebrew; a Jew who lives in Israel.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke. It can mean a person who spoke Hebrew.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Gentile ~ a person who is not a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
faith ~ (1) belief or trust in; (2) the facts of Christian belief.
opponents ~ people who oppose other people or their ideas; enemies.
trial ~ a legal examination by which a judge decides if a person is guilty of a crime.
grace ~ God’s generous free gift; God’s love that people do not deserve and cannot earn.
Lord ~ Master, Ruler, God.
apostle ~ a person that Jesus sent out.
scorn ~ to show that you think that a person or his message has no value.
gospel ~ good news about Jesus.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament (the second part of our Bible). It can mean a person who spoke Greek.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke. It can mean a person who spoke Hebrew.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God.
grace ~ God’s generous free gift; God’s love that people do not deserve and cannot earn.
being ~ a person or animal that is alive.
sin ~ when we do not do what God wants us to do.
anoint ~ to put oil put on someone’s head. This shows that God has chosen the person for a special task.
spiritual ~ about the part of us that never dies rather than physical things.
preach ~ to tell and explain the good news about Jesus Christ to someone or to a group of people.
martyrs ~ persons who die for their beliefs.
destruction ~ damage beyond any hope of repair.
salvation ~ rescue from evil things and their results.
kingdom ~ a kingdom is where a king rules. God is the King of all Christians and all Christians are in his Kingdom.
blessing ~ a good thing that God does for us; a blessing can be a prayer that God will be good to someone.