Philippians: Introduction

Philippians     

The letter to the Philippians is one of the more encouraging letters one might find in the New Testament. Paul is not afraid to hide his joyful and clearly encouraging relationship with the believers in Philippi. Before we dive too deep, we must understand who these believers in Philippi are  and how Paul became so fond of them. 

Philippi

The original location of Philippi was named Datos. Its location was in a gold-saturated region of Macedonia which originally brought many people to this area. Colonists changed the name to “Krenides” because that location had many springs. Then King Philip II of Macedonia helped the colonists with their troubles against the tribes in that area and so he renamed the city Philippi. Macedonia was a major biblical province as it held Philippi and Thessalonica. It is now part of modern day Northern Greece with North Macedonia still remaining. When the Romans took over the area, it became a farming agricultural community and a major roadway helped make Philippi a city that was easily accessible for trade. It was also a quiet enough town that retired military personnel would call this area home. Italian settlers would eventually make their way into the city which caused it to grow. There was a sense of pride of Roman citizenship in Philippi and this made Paul’s message hit home when he reminded the Christians “our citizenship is in heaven”. There was lots to be influenced by in this area and so they needed to remain strong in their identity not as Roman citizens but as citizens of God’s kingdom.

The Letter to the Philippians 

The letter itself was written by Paul sometime between 60-62 AD. Paul was under house arrest at this time which is why Philippians is known as one of the “prison epistles”. He first founded this church community on his second missionary journey and they met in Lydia’s house. He then visited them again on his third journey. The letter fulfills several purposes of Paul’s but its main purpose was to offer them thanks for their gift and help upon hearing about his situation. 

Outline

Philippians 1:1-26: Paul’s Thankfulness

Philippians 1:27-2:18: Imitating Jesus

Philippians 2:19-30: Application

Philippians 3:1-4:1: Paul’s Testimony

Philippians 4:2-23: Hopeful Living

Purpose and Themes

One of the main reasons Paul writes this letter is to thank the believers in Philippi for their continued support and love for Paul while he is in prison but also a general love for the gospel that he has preached to them. He has abounding joy when he thinks about them not just because of their help but because of their love for Jesus and the message Paul brought to them. Their response to the gospel in the face of hardship makes Paul’s dire situation more pleasant and endurable. He also wrote to encourage them in the face of persecution to keep fighting the good fight we call life and to continue to pledge allegiance to Jesus even when the easy way out is to say no. 

The themes of Philippians are not cut into nice, neat sections. Themes of contentment, joy, and perseverance are woven into the fabric of this letter.  Paul shares his secret for contentment even while he is in prison. He also shares with them how they can have joy in the midst of their circumstances and persecution and how this all can lead to perseverance in the faith. Philippians is a personal letter to a group of people near and dear to Paul but has timeless application for us today.