The book of Philippians is one of the great treasures of the Bible. All Scripture is God-breather and every word from the mouth of God is necessary. But some books and some chapters in the Bible speak to us in a special and profound way. Philippians is one of those books. In the book, we find so much deep and rich truth that thrills the soul and humbles the heart. This book is a letter from the apostle Paul to the church at Philippi, but it sounds more like poetry than a letter. In the book, we find the deeply encouraging words of 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” We also see that comforting and motivating verse, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:21). And too we find one of the greatest passages on the person and work of Christ in the Bible (2:5-11). There are so many others, too many to name. It is a book that is worthy to be read over and over again and meditated on, as the psalmist says, day and night. With that in mind, we will provide a brief overview of the book. To give it a thorough treatment would require a book-length work.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of four letters he wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome. Paul first arrived in Philippi during his second mission trip (Acts 16). It was the first city he visited in Macedonia. Paul planted a robust community of believers before he moved on to other cities. Paul maintained a close relationship with the church at Philippi, and when they heard that he was under house arrest in Rome, they sent one of their own, Epaphroditus, to Rome with a monetary gift for Paul and Epaphroditus to serve his needs. Paul then writes to the church to thank them for their gift and to assure them that Epaphroditus is well (they had heard he was ill) and to encourage them to be unified. Two prominent women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche, were having a disagreement that was disruptive to the whole church.
One of the important themes in Philippians is joy (1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17-18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, 10). Paul was under house arrest in Rome waiting for trial before Nero, yet he maintained an attitude of joy in the Lord even in very difficult circumstances. He encouraged the Philippians to do the same. While joy is an important theme, it is not the message or purpose of the book. The message of Philippians can be summed up in the phrase, “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). Whether it is the persecutions they face, the struggles with disunity in the church, or even their own spiritual growth, they are to live a life worthy of the gospel. Paul writes to communicate that high calling to the church at Philippi and to us.
Philippians at a Glance
1. Thanksgiving & Prayer for Partnership in the Gospel (1:1-11)
2. Contending for the Gospel (1:12-26)
3. Living Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-2:18)
4. Examples of Living Worthy of the Gospel (2:19-30)
5. Live by the Truth – Reject False Teaching (3:1-21)
6. Call to Unity and Living Worthy of the Gospel (4:1-9)
7. Gratitude for Philippians Generosity (4:10-23)
Thanksgiving & Prayer for Partnership in the Gospel (1:1-11)
Most of Paul’s letters began with a greeting and a prayer of thanksgiving. Though this was his custom in the letters he sent to his churches, they are not merely perfunctory. These statements were intimate and personal to meet the needs of each church. Here, Paul thanks the Philippians for their partnership in the gospel and expresses his confidence that God will complete his work in them until the day of Christ. They have stood with Paul in his ministry and sufferings. So Paul prays that they will stand pure and blameless on the day of Christ.
Contending for the Gospel (1:12-26)
Paul now writes to explain to the Philippians what is happening to him in Rome and how God is using it to advance the gospel for his glory. Even though he is under house arrest, Paul is still proclaiming the gospel to all he can. This bold contending for the gospel on Paul’s part has emboldened many of the believers in Rome to preach the gospel without fear. He does note that some preach the gospel for the wrong motive, but they are preaching the true gospel, so Paul rejoices. When people preach a false gospel, Paul calls a curse upon them (Galatians 1:6-9).
In Paul’s present circumstances of awaiting trial before Caesar, he may live or die. But for Paul, living is Christ living in and through him, and if he dies, he goes to be with Christ, which is even better. Yet, Paul believes that through their prayers and the work of the Holy Spirit, he will live for their future edification.
Living Worthy of the Gospel (1:27-2:18)
This third and final long section is the heart of the book to Paul’s beloved friends at Philippi. He calls them to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ (1:27). They are suffering persecution, but they must remain firm in Christ. They have been granted the gift of not only believing in Christ but also suffering for him. They are only doing what Paul and even Jesus before him were doing. It is the Christian life to suffer for the sake of Christ (1:28-30).
To do this, they are to live a life of humble obedience, not out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but living to bless others (2:1-4). When they are doing this, they are following the example of Christ. Though Christ was equal with God, he did not refuse to become a human person, but in so doing, he was humble and obedient to the plan of the Father, even to the death on the cross. Because of his humble obedience, Christ was highly exalted so that everyone would ultimately acknowledge that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father (2:5-11). Therefore, believers must be obedient, knowing that God is working in them and through them to accomplish his purposes (2:12-18).
Examples of living Worthy of the Gospel (2:19-30)
Paul holds up Timothy and their own Epaphroditus as examples of the humble, obedient believer who is living a life worthy of the gospel. Timothy had a genuine concern for the welfare of the Philippian believers. Others had their own interests foremost in their hearts, but Timothy put Jesus first, other believers second, and himself last (2:19-23).
Epaphroditus was another powerful example of one dedicated to living a life worthy of the Gospel by living for Jesus. He was one of the Philippian believers. In his willingness to serve, he made the long and treacherous journey to Rome with a monetary gift for Paul and himself to serve Paul and the cause of the gospel with him. While there, he became sick near unto death, but by the grace of God recovered. Paul now sends him back to the Philippians (2:24-30).
Live by the Truth – Reject False Teaching (3:1-21)
Paul then warns the Philippians about the Judaizers, who say that circumcision is required to be saved. The teaching of the Judaizers will lead them away from a life worthy of the gospel. The life worthy of the gospel glories in Christ and puts no confidence in the flesh. Salvation is by grace and not by works. Paul shows the futility of trusting in the flesh by holding up his own pre-Christian life as an example. He was the perfect law-keeping Pharisee. Yet even his life was insufficient to gain Christ. It is only by considering every advantage and work of the law as of no account and embracing Christ by faith alone that one has a righteousness before God. The only righteousness God accepts is Christ’s righteousness, and that is received by faith alone apart from works of the law (3:2-11).
As a follower of Christ, Paul presses forward to lay hold of all God has called him to in Christ. He has not yet attained this, but does not look back, only looking forward to Christ. This is a life of radical focus on God’s plan and self-sacrificing discipline that is all by grace. Their goal is to be with Christ in a resurrection body. He calls the Philippians and all believers to follow him in the transcendent cause of their high calling and not like those whose focus is on themselves and their own sinful pleasures (3:12-21).
Call to Unity and Living Worthy of the Gospel (4:1-9)
Paul encourages the Philippians to be united in their ministry to one another and the world. They must be eager to resolve conflicts quickly. There was a public conflict among them, and Paul urged them to deal with it in a unifying way. Such unity will bring joy and peace free of anxiety as they pursue the lifestyle Paul has outlined in his letter. It is a life of humility, excellence, and grace (4:1-9).
In this section, we see the great call to rejoice in the Lord always (4:4), which we also see in 3:1. In the face of suffering and hardship, we can find the joy we so desperately desire in and only in Jesus Christ. The passage also shows us the biblical way to deal with anxiety, which is by prayer with thanksgiving, trusting in the Lord (4:6-7).
Gratitude for Philippians Generosity (4:10-23)
Paul closes the book by thanking the Philippians for the gift they sent by Epaphroditus. Paul is thankful for their generosity; however, he is not seeking the gift but their blessing. Paul knows the secret of contentment. The secret is that he can do anything God calls him to do through the strength God gives in Christ. God will supply every need. He can be trusted to sustain every believer as they seek to live a life worthy of the gospel (4:10-23).
Conclusion
The book of Philippians was written so long ago, but it still speaks across the centuries to penetrate the eternal word of God into the hearts of believers in Jesus Christ. Those believers who first received the letter were blessed to hear it and seek to apply it to their lives, so we, too, are blessed to devote our hearts to digging deep into this inexhaustible source of divine truth. May we dedicate our lives to so meditate on this book that we live lives worthy of the gospel of Christ and bring glory to God by his grace.