PHILIPPIANS OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS
1. Theme: Paul takes the opportunity to thank the Philippians
for the generous gift that Epaphroditus had brought from them
(Phil 4.10,18 with 2.25), to let them know about his spiritual
prosperity (effectiveness, spiritual deliverance, joy, contentment)
from living the daily plan of God even though he is in the center of
severe testing and suffering (Phil 1.7-26; 2.17; 3.7-14; 4.1, 11-
13, 18), and to communicate revelation God has given him for the
Philippian church and for the church at large (Phil 1.6,27-30;
2.3,5,12,13; 3.1,15; 4.6,8,19).
2. Chapter titles:
1. Chapter 1, Paul exploits pressure.
2. Chapter 2, Live out your own salvation life.
3. Chapter 3, Pursue knowing Christ.
4. Chapter 4, Stability, contentment and joy.
3. Title: Philippians. These are believers that live in the
city of Philippi, a prominent city that was situated on the Via
Ignatia, the highway from Italy to Asia (Phil 1.1.).
3.1. Paul founded this geographical church, the first
church founded on European soil, on his second missionary trip (Acts
16). Timothy, Silas, and Luke were with him (Acts 16.1-4, 10-12, 19;
18.5). The date was about AD 50-52. This church was composed of Gentile
believers. They were very responsive to his ministry (authority and
doctrine) (Acts 18.5; Phil 1.5-8; 2.12 4.10-16; 2 Cor 8.1-5; 11.8-9).
3.2. The city was named for Philip of Macedon in the iv
century BC. Philippi came under Roman rule about 167 BC. In 42 BC
Octavius (who would receive the title of Augustus on 16 Jan. 27
BC) and Antony defeated the armies of Brutus and Cassius (the
assassins of Julius Caesar). This battle took place at Philippi.
Philippi then became a Roman colony. The veterans of the army
were settled there. The city had great loyalty to Rome. In 31 BC
Octavius defeated Antony at Actium. He also settled a group of
Italian settlers in Philippi.
4. The immediate personal and political background for the
letter.
4.1. Paul had determined to go to Jerusalem even
though he was aware of the Jews' rampant religious pride and self
righteousness which made them violently opposed to him and his
message. He was arrested. He lost his freedom.
He was taken to Rome and imprisoned where he waited for the
decision from the legal system. He was chained by the hand to a
praetorian guardsman day and night. Some believers have been hostile
and competitive with him. He was under great pressure, but he
continued to live within the daily plan of God and so applied Bible
doctrine to life. In the middle of great pressure, testing, and
suffering Paul was an effective servant of Christ, was stable, content,
and happy.
4.2. Rome at this time was about to embark upon direct,
intermittent antagonism toward Christianity. Burrus (prefect of
the praetorian guard) and Seneca (Nero's tutor and then political
adviser and minister) had provided Nero and Rome with good
government since Nero became emperor in AD 54. As time passed Nero was
influenced more and more by those who agreed with his crimes. Seneca's
power grew less. When Burrus died in AD 62 (Suetonius and Dio say
poisoned) Seneca lost power and retired (In AD 65 he was forced to
commit suicide.) Nero was able to act more independently. Conditions
worsened. Paul wrote Philippians from Roman imprisonment during
this transition period.
5. Author: Paul (Phil 1.1). This letter has very strong
attestation of Pauline authorship. Polycarp mentioned letters
written by Paul to the Philippians in his own letter to the
Philippians (3.1-2). Philippians is also listed in Marcion's
Apostolicon (Marcion was a second century heretic who took Paul as
his hero. His canon listed ten Pauline epistles.) and in the
Muratorian Canon (This is a fragmentary list of recognized NT books
known at Rome about AD 200). Church fathers and apologists quote from
and allude to Paul's letter to the Philippians.
6. Paul wrote from where and when: Rome near the end of his
first Roman imprisonment about AD 62 (Phil 1.7, 13-18, 23-26; 4.22
and Acts 28.16, 30, 31).
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT OF PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 1
Paul exploits pressure
1. Paul and Timothy greet all the saints at Philippi (all
believers in the geographical church). They make a point to greet the
overseers (episkopos, also called pastor/teachers and elders,
the authoritative leader teachers. There is one over each local
church.) and deacons (diakonos, the official servants of the
overseer and local church) (1.1-2).
2. Paul appreciates and prays for the Philippians.
They genuinely accepted Paul's ministry (authority and
doctrine) so they became reliable participants with him in his grace
ministry (1.3-11).
2.1. The personal basis for Paul's appreciation and
prayer for them was their acceptance of his ministry and
their reliable participation with him (1.3-8).
2.2. Paul asks the Father that their love will excel in true
knowledge (epignwsis, understood and accepted knowledge of Bible
doctrine) and discernment (aisth8sis, insight, perceptive ability
based on learned Bible doctrine) so they will be able to make good
decisions in order to be genuine and unflawed (by Satan's plan) up
to the day of Christ (2.9-11).
3. While Paul was under arrest in Rome his travel and on
site teaching were stopped. Many believers subtly attacked him
because of their selfish ambition, envy, and rivalry. They were
occupied with themselves and things instead of with Christ and the
plan of God. But Paul passed the tests associated with all of this
by living the daily plan of God. The gospel spread, other
believers grew, and Paul experienced great spiritual growth (1.12-19).
4. Paul reflects on his life and death. Because he is so occupied
with Christ within the plan of God he has adjusted to either option
(1.19-24).
5. Paul's job profile, which became the profile of the
pastor/teacher, was to minister so believers will advance (mature) in
the Christian way of life (CWL) and from this spiritual progress
gain inner happiness (1.25-26).
6. The church's job profile is to live (politeuomai)
worthy of the gospel as patriotic citizens of heaven. These
citizens 1) must stand firm and operate from their spiritual
position of strength, 2) must actively strive together in
ministry for the faith like disciplined soldiers and athletes, 3)
and must maintain the winner's confidence while under pressure
instead of the loser's fear (1.27-30).
PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2
Live out your own salvation life
1. God has given believers (citizens of heaven)
grace spiritual blessings to support their proper
relationship with Him, their King. This grace
support includes 1) God's encouragement to enable
believers to advance in His plan, 2) genuine comfort
so the believer can regain balance and perspective,
3) partnership with the Holy Spirit for living the
plan of God, 4) genuine affection and sensitivity
to believers (2.1).
2. God has designed grace mental attitudes
that the believer must use. These will motivate and
support right thought and action among spiritual
(kingdom) citizens. They include 1) think the same
Bible doctrine, 2) practice Christian (source
dependent) love, 3) common or united Biblical
viewpoint and therefore common application of Bible
doctrine in life, 4) same accepted purpose in the
plan of God as to mission, preparation, practice,
and environment, 5) reject mental attitude sin
motives of subjective self-seeking and arrogant
delusion, 6) humility and grace orientation toward
other believers, 7) genuine interest in the
spiritual welfare of other (2.2-4).
3. Believers must have humility
(tapeinophrosun8, verse 3) like Christ did. Jesus
Christ's humility caused right action and the Father
then exalted Him. Humility is a mental attitude. The
humble person thinks the way God does about self in
relation to God and others. The humble person is
oriented to authority. Christ's humility showed what
kingdom citizenship mental attitude ought to be
(2.5-11).
3.1. He did not arrogantly show off and
claim His divine rights (did not regard, `8geomai, a
thing to be grasped, `arpagmos). He placed himself
under the authority and plan of God even though He
was God (form of God, en morph8 theou, preincarnate
Godness expressed in the OT period by power,
majesty, and holiness such as the burning bush, the
cloud and fire, and the glory in the temple which
reflected His unseen divine attributes) (2.5-6).
3.2. Jesus Christ emptied Himself (kenow,
aor act indic, gave of Himself for mankind) by
adding humanity to His person and accepting the
limitations of humanity (form of a slave means
humanness under the Father's authority; likeness of
men means similar throughout--body, soul, human
spirit--except for the sin nature; appearance means
outward looks) (2.7-8).
3.3. Jesus Christ humbled (tapeinow, aor
act indic) Himself by accepting the plan of God for
death on the cross. This demonstrated His humility
(right thinking about self in relation to God and
others, authority orientation to God the Father and
the plan of God) (2.8).
3.4. God the Father exalted and honored
Jesus Christ as God and man. All people will honor
Christ when He returns at the second advent (2.9-
11).
4. Live the salvation kind of life (Christian
way of life, CWL) 2.12-18.
4.1. Both God and the believer have a role
in the CWL. The believer's role is seen by people,
but God's unseen role inside the believer is most
important (2.12-13).
4.1.1. The believer must accept the
ministry of the gifted communicator and follow his
ministry (authority and doctrine). With this
training he must live out (katergazomai, achieve,
accomplish, produce, pres midd impv, deponent) his
own day to day salvation kind of life (2.12).
4.1.2. God has committed Himself to
energize (who is at work, energew, articular pres
act part) each believer's volition and action (to
thelein kai to energein, articular pres act
infinitives used as direct objects of God who is at
work) so that each may accomplish God's good will
(`uper t8s eudokias [eudokia], the execution of
God's plan for the church age believer) (2.13).
4.2. Do not grumble or dispute (mental
attitude sins and sins of the tongue). When
believers demonstrate good mental attitudes and good
use of the tongue, this becomes a clear witness for
God (2.14-15).
4.3. Maintain a continual commitment
(epechw, pres act part, to have and firmly hold
onto) to learned Bible doctrine. This saturation
with Bible doctrine will be the basis for one's
spiritual life. The believer that lives the plan of
God based upon the Bible doctrine that Paul taught
will be proof at the judgment seat of Christ of the
value of Paul's ministry (2.16).
4.4. Rejoice like Paul does about
spiritual privileges and opportunities even though
they include testing and suffering (2.17-18).
5. Paul reports about two loyal subordinates in
his ministry who are fulfilling the profile of Phil
1.27-30 to live worthy of the gospel as patriotic
citizens of heaven. They are Timothy and
Ephaphroditus. They live the plan of God. They serve
under Paul. They accept his authority and doctrine.
They specialize within their own gift and they are
able to exercise delegated authority without
becoming proud (Phil 2.19-30.
5.1. Paul planned to send Timothy to
Philippi to find out about the life of the church
there (2.19-24).
5.1.1. Timothy was right for the job
because he was in agreement with Paul (kindred
spirit, isopsuchos, of like soul, have much in
common) about spiritual life, growth, and ministry
(2.19-20).
5.1.2. The other believers around
Paul at the time that are gifted for this same kind
of ministry are occupied with themselves and details
of life instead of Christ (2.20-21).
5.1.3. Timothy has developed under
the training of Paul. He has learned Bible doctrine
from Paul. He has served under authority. He now can
take delegated authority. So Paul will send him to
Philippi as his representative. Paul will soon
follow if possible (2.22-24).
5.2. Paul sent Epaphroditus back to the
Philippians so he (Epaphroditus) and the Philippians
will be in the right place and continue their
ministry momentum (2.25-30).
5.2.1. Paul considered Epaphroditus a
valued team member (brother, adelphos, believer;
fellow worker, sunergos, fulfilled his
responsibility within the plan of God along with
Paul; fellow soldier, sustratiwt8s, comrade in arms
on the spiritual battlefield; messenger, apostolos,
delegate from Philippi to Paul; minister,
leitourgos, served Paul in the day to day details of
the ministry (2.25-26).
5.2.2. Epaphroditus became so sick
that he almost died. Paul could not heal him, but
God did heal him (Doctrine: temporary spiritual
gifts. Paul could have healed him earlier in his
ministry [Acts 28.8-9]) (2.27).
5.2.3. Paul commended Epaphroditus
(and all men that serve like he does) and sent him
back to the Philippians with the expectation of
blessing and joy for the Philippians. Epaphroditus
was committed to the Lord and the ministry that God
gave him. He was oriented to the plan of God. He was
dependable. He was humble, authority oriented, and
grace oriented. The Lord and Paul used him for the
spiritual benefit of others (2.27-30).
PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3
Pursue Knowing Christ
1. Paul commands the believers to rejoice
(chairw, pres act impv, second person plural, to
have genuine delight, to take pleasure in, be glad,
to have happiness or a good mood of the soul and
human spirit) in Christ. He is God, Savior, Head,
Priest, King, and Leader. Believers are in the plan
of God, under the headship of Christ, with spiritual
blessings. All this ought to motivate joy. To
rejoice in Christ protects the individual believer
from 1) preoccupation with self, 2) from
preoccupation with the world system and its
religion, human good, and evil, and 3) from
Satan's plan and demons (3.1).
2. Paul warns them to be alert to self
righteous religious people. He used to be one and
knows the danger (3.2-6).
2.1. They live outside the plan God
(dogs), claim to obey God but really produce evil
(evil workers), and emphasize ritual (false
circumcision) (3.2).
2.2. Grace believers 1) value spiritual
circumcision (true circumcision, baptism with the
Holy Spirit), 2) serve daily through the enabling
power of the Holy Spirit (worship in the Spirit of
God, latreuw, which is translated worship, means to
serve by the carrying out of religious duties. It
refers to each believer serving God by carrying out
His plan and will for his or her Christian way of
life [CWL]. See serve in Matt 4.10, Acts 26.7, Rom
1.9), 3) take great pride in Jesus Christ (glory in,
the only one worthy of boasting and glory), and 4)
do not depend upon human ability to please God (no
confidence in the flesh) (3.3).
2.3. Paul had great ability, intelligence,
heritage, education, zeal, and experience, but his
relationship with the resurrected Christ completely
changed his values and priorities (3.4-7).
3. Paul therefore greatly values (his divine
perspective) salvation knowledge of Christ (knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord) and union with Christ or
position in Christ with all the benefits (gain
Christ and be found in Him). Christ's righteousness
and life became Paul's righteousness and life. Paul
gained all this by faith. Identification with Christ
or positional truth, retroactive and current,
describes the believer's relationship and identity
with Christ. (3.8-9).
4. Along with salvation faith, union with
Christ, and all the grace benefits gained by union
with Christ, Paul greatly values (additional divine
perspective) experientially knowing Christ,
experientially knowing Christ's resurrection power,
experientially participating in Christ's kind of
suffering. Furthermore, he wants to live the
resurrection kind of life in the present time, and
looks forward to physical resurrection in the
future. Paul presses on toward them. Each believer
should do the same (3.10-16).
4.1. Paul purposes for his day to day life
(PERSONAL PRIORITIES) to know (ginwskw, genitive
articular aor act infin of purpose) 1) Christ
(genuine occupation with Christ through learning and
application of doctrine, especially Christology), 2)
Christ's resurrection power (God's omnipotent,
[dunamis] resurrection power that is available to
every believer through union with Christ and
spirituality), 3) the fellowship (koinwnia) of His
sufferings (to participate in the same kind of
sufferings that Christ endured and for some of the
same reasons. This was an honor) (3.10).
4.2. He also wants (PERSONAL GOAL) to
experience freedom from every trace of fallen Adam
(control by the sin nature with its results) which
Christ provided through His death (conformed to His
death, summorphizw, to grant or invest with the same
form, in the passive to take on the same form, pres
pass part, attendant circumstances. Application of
retroactive positional truth) so he can live like
his resurrected position (plan of God, current
positional truth, spirituality, spiritual maturity)
and then move into physical resurrection at the
right time (3.10-11).
4.3. Paul presses on (diwkw, to run, press
on, persecute, run after, pursue, strive for, pres
act indic) toward spiritual maturity and physical
resurrection (STRONG POSITIVE VOLITION) (3.12).
4.4. Paul's divine policy is to FORGET
(epilanthanw, to forget, neglect, overlook, care
nothing about, pres midd part, attendant
circumstance to I press on) THE PAST successes,
sins, and failures, REACH FORWARD (epekteinomai, to
stretch out, strain toward something, pres midd
part, attendant circumstance to I press on) AND
PRESS ON (diwkw, to run, press on, persecute, run
after, pursue, strive for, pres act indic) toward
consistent function in the plan of God, spiritual
maturity and resurrection kind of life in time, and
future physical resurrection. Preoccupation with the
past only distracts him from God's grace plan. He
tells all believers to do this (3.13-15).
4.5. Paul stresses that he and all
believers need to follow (translated keep living,
stoichew. It originally meant to be drawn up in a
line. In Christian literature it means to be in
line with, stand beside a person or thing, hold to,
agree with, follow [with the dative case which is
used here], pres act infin) their present level of
spiritual learning, application, and growth (ACT
YOUR SPIRITUAL AGE). They must not regress (3.16).
5. Believers are kingdom citizens. Their future
physical resurrection to be just like Christ is
certain. Because this is true Paul commands all to
follow his divine perspective for the CWL (personal
priorities; personal goal; positive volition; forget
the past, reach forward, and press on; and act your
spiritual age) of 3.10-16 (3.17-21).
5.1. There are those that accept the plan
of God (this is Paul's pattern) and those that
reject the plan of God (the enemies of Christ and
His work). Follow Paul's pattern, not the enemy's
pattern (3.17-19).
5.2. Kingdom or heavenly citizens
(politeuma, commonwealth, state) anticipate Christ's
return. At that time He will exert (energeia,
working, operation, action, activity) His unlimited
ability (dunamai, to be able, genitive articular
pres midd infin describing God's ability to actively
work) and will transform (metasch8matizw, to change
the form of, to transform from one form to another
form, future act indic) the physical body of every
believer so that each body will be exactly the same
kind of body as His resurrection body. Believers
will live in their resurrection bodies forever with
the Lord (3.20-21).
1986 By Tod M. Kennedy
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