Philippians - Introduction

PLUS

NEXT I. Greeting and Prayer (Philippians 1:1-11)

Introduction

Author

THE APOSTLE PAUL IDENTIFIES himself as the author of this letter, and even the most critical scholars agree that he is. Though the greeting mentions “Paul and Timothy” (1:1), Paul is simply noting Timothy’s physical presence with him. The first person “I” used throughout the letter makes it clear that this is not a case of joint authorship.

Historical Background

Paul indicates that he was imprisoned at the time he wrote Philippians (1:7, 13). We cannot be certain which imprisonment this was. Bible scholars debate about the three most likely locations: Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus. Paul experienced frequent troubles in Ephesus (see Acts 19:21-41; 1 Cor 15:32; 16:8-9), but though he indicates that he had been imprisoned many times (2 Cor 11:23), we don’t have conclusive evidence of an Ephesian imprisonment. We know he was jailed in Caesarea from AD 57–59 (see Acts 24:22-27). But it’s more likely that Philippians was written from Rome around AD 62. This would make sense of Paul’s reference to the saints of “Caesar’s household” sending greetings (Phil 4:22).

During his second missionary journey in AD 51, Paul received a vision of “a Macedonian man” (Acts 16:9-10). As a result, he traveled to Philippi and founded a church in that leading city in Macedonia (see Acts 16:11-15). He also experienced persecution and imprisonment there (see Acts 16:16-40). The congregation at Philippi was the first church in Europe.

Message and Purpose

Philippians is the book of joy. Paul wants God’s saints to live in the joy of the Lord and his kingdom instead of just reacting to their circumstances. Joy consists of internal stability in spite of external circumstances. And Paul was particularly qualified to teach on the subject because he wrote this book from a prison cell.

Philippians is in part a thank-you letter to the saints at Philippi for sending Epaphroditus to comfort Paul and deliver him a financial gift when they heard of his arrest and dire straits. But Paul also used the occasion to send some correction to the Philippians. He wrote the famous passage in chapter 2 to instruct the church to bring the mindset of Christ into the church rather than conforming to the world’s mindset. Since two prominent women were fighting within the church, Paul knew he had to challenge the prevailing mentality.

He went on to explain that the church affects the angelic realm when it is operating properly. But that requires unity, which is why Paul prays in chapter 3 that the church might be unified. His conclusion is an exhortation to victory, to prayer instead of worry, and to choosing the mind of Christ that brings peace and joy.

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