Philippians 1:1-2

Most people see greetings as a segway to more significant conversation—they get on with them quickly. Sometimes so quickly that they forget people’s names, mid conversation.

My hope is that we might see that there is much to learn from the things in the NT that we might skip over quickly.

Pray

Read

What does it say? (Observation)

Our goal is to interrogate the text. We’ll establish the context and then answer the “5 W’s” - who? when? what? where? why? This is how we establish the context of them passage.

Context

Genre

This is an epistle/letter and this portion of the epistle is the greeting.

The letter follows the same form that Paul’s other letters do:

Greeting

Thanks

Prayer

Moral expectations / encouragements / exhortation

Greeting

Benediction

Missionary support letter.

Author

Paul (apostle) even though he doesn’t identify himself as one; and even though Paul writes the letter he includes Timothy and identifies Timothy and himself as servants (slaves/bondservants)

This is the only place that Paul applies the same title to himself and to a “coauthor”

Timothy probably wrote down Paul’s dictation.

Audience

The church at the Roman colony Philippi — a town in Macedonia (current day Greece). With the overseers and deacons.

This is the first church that Paul founded in Europe. We see this recorded in Acts 16, with the conversion of Lydia—a Gentile believer. (Philippi had no temple, which meant that there were less than 10 Jewish men in the city)

Paul exorcises a demon from a fortune telling slave girl, and when the men who were using her to make money discover it, they have Paul and Silas thrown in prison.

God miraculously delivers them, and they preach the gospel the Philippian jailer.

Paul visits the church at Philippi again in Acts 20

What’s the purpose?

This letter is a thank you and encouragement, an exhortation and one that communicates hopeful plans.

Paul is thanking them for the latest gift they sent him, brought by Epaphroditus — a member of the Philippian congregation.

Philippians 2:25–26 (ESV)

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

Epaphroditus was sick, but he’s well

He’s sending Epaphroditus and hopes to also send Timothy

He exhorts them to (even though they seem like a pretty healthy church) continue making progress in their faith.

This is a letter of friendship, partnership and unity.

When are these things taking place?

After the church had been established.

After Epaphroditus visited Paul.

Who are the main people in this passage?

Paul

Timothy

Anyone else?

All the saints at Philippi (trns. holy ones, holy people) + the overseers and deacons

One reason Paul may be mentioning them is because his letter is one of thanks for a gift, and the overseers and deacons would’ve been the ones to administer this support and also to send Epaphroditus. He may also be addressing them to emphasize their responsibility to make sure that the church follows his instructions—he’s encouraging them to lead in striving for the things that he’s going to encourage them in.

God our Father

The Lord Jesus Christ( x3)

Where are the people in the text?

Paul is still in jail in the “praetorium” of Herod the Great in Caesarea. (cf. Phil 1:13)

Timothy is with Paul

God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are in heaven.

What is going on in our passage?

Paul is opening his letter to the Philippians with a greeting. One commentator calls this the “vestibule (or the entryway) of the epistle”.

This is a common early Christian greeting - grace and peace.

Jesus is being recognized as Messiah — Christ Jesus.

Why does Paul write this particular section of the letter? (We kind of creep into interpretation, here.)

To greet them

To remind them of who he is (servant) and who they are (saints in Christ Jesus)

What does it mean? (Interpretation)

What is the significance of Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Christ Jesus, and specifically being in Christ is a theme that reappears throughout the letter.

This is the relationship of Christ and His church — the saints live in Christ Jesus.

“the phrase in Christ tells us where the Christian community lives, just as the phrase in Philippi tells us where the church resides.” - Walter Hansen

What does it mean to greet someone with grace and peace?

These two words appear together in all thirteen of Paul’s salutations.

Grace

They are an expression of the effect of Christ’s saving work — Jesus Christ died so that we might receive grace and peace from God the Father.

grace; you have God’s unmerited favor and saving work of God in Christ, which brings you peace; this relationship with God and with each other

John 1:16-17b - from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace…grace and truth come through Jesus Christ

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give grace and peace.

“Before meeting the risen Christ, Paul’s central affirmation of faith was the Jewish creed known as the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” After his encounter with Christ, Paul’s faith included Jesus Christ within the Shema: “The Lord (Jesus Christ) (and) God (our Father), the Lord is one.”

What does it mean for me? (Application)

What do we learn about ourselves?

Union with Christ. the saints in Christ Jesus.

Jesus has everything to do with our relationships with one another in the church. We share common interests, backgrounds, experiences, ethnicities but that is not what unites us. We are saints in Christ Jesus.

We are saints, God’s holy people

Your holiness is inherit in your calling and position in Christ.

You don’t earn it by social status or moral performance. It’s been earned for you and you have it because of your union with Christ.

What examples can we follow?

A call to humility,

They are in authority and yet, they are servants. This theme of humility is carried through the book of Philippians.

Both Paul and Timothy are under the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is supreme!

The face that Paul opens with servants of Christ Jesus, indicates that he considers it a privilege!

cf. Phil 2:7 - Jesus, who emptied himself taking on the form of a servant.

Lives built around Christ Jesus.

If Paul builds his thanks, encouragement, exhortation on Christ Jesus, shouldn’t we?

Communication in relationships—near and far.

Even though Paul isn’t with them, he loves them enough to write to them.

Relationships actually matter.

God wants us to learn from the relationships of others.

Strive for unity.

Since this letter is written to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, we ought to strive to see ourselves as unified in Christ. Interesting that in the end of his letter, he exhorts Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. And to open his letter he brings all of them together to hear his letter.

We maintain unity by keeping our eyes fixed on the one who unites us.

SUMMARY SENTENCE: Because we have God’s grace and peace in Christ Jesus, we are all saints in Christ Jesus.

Does it point out sin in my life? What harmful or sinful attitudes result in me when I forget about what’s in this passage?

Thank you for you grace and the peace we have with you and with one another.

Thank you that you place saints in specific places.

Please send more saints to start churches, where there are no churches

Please help us to maintain the unity that we have in Christ.

How can we turn this passage into a prayer before the LORD?