Explore the Bible Philippians 1:1-11

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Understand the Context

Philippians 1:1–2 (ESV)

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is imprisoned in one of the largest cities in the world at that time. Central place of world commerce and education. All letters, like roads, probably came through and from Rome as some point.

Paul wrote from Rome around 60 AD after at least 2 journeys through Philippi and was executed around 5 years later. The specific reason for the letter can be discerned from some of the text in Chapter 4 that we will study later.

Paul uses the customary greeting of the time and even some structural writing elements. Some scholars even show how the “praying to gods” on the behalf of the recipient was often included in personal letters of the time.

Explore the Text

Philippians 1:3–5 ESV

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

This sentence is fairly straight forward in English but there are apparently some grammatical possibilities that could change the perspective for the reader. However the first thing that I wondered when I first starting studying was what does he mean by “partnership”. Paul answers this question in part in Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:19–21 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

The Greek word used in our text is probably familiar to you - koinonia, a spiritual fellowship of believers which can be without physical parameters. This fits with the idea of us all being a part of the church body through and in Christ.

Paul tells us later in the letter we read that this partnership also involved “giving and receiving” not only of finances but workers also - Epaphroditus begin sent by the Philippians and Timothy being sent to them by Paul.

This partnership also comes in the form of prayers. In our text today there are 2 different words used in the Greek for what we have translated as prayer. In the beginning verses, the word used speaks more to the type of prayer - supplication - being made on the behalf of another. I think this is why there is some variance in the commentaries and scholarship about verse 3. Is this supplication being made by Paul for the Philippians, or the Philippians for Paul and each other? In the ESV which I am reading from the text seems fairly clear that it is the former.

Let’s see what else we can learn from these verses

When to Pray

Paul was very thankful for the partnership that the Philippians had with and so his prayers were offered with joy. Look at the qualifiers in verses 3 & 4.

How often did Paul thank God for them?

Every time he remembered them. Who reminded Paul, or lead his mind to think on them?

I think this is a great principle for our prayer life.

How often does God bring people to the forefront of you thoughts? What do we usually do about it? What should we be doing?

For Paul the cycle probably went, he remembered what they did, he thanked God for them, which led him to pray for God to continue to work in them, which brought about joy of knowing God is working through them more, which gave God glory. And when we look at the other letters it appears that Paul thought often of the churches he had been to so I imagine as he finished thanking God for one, it lead him to thank God for another and so on.

Having the thankful mindest and prayerful attitude would definitely contribute to God giving us joy as we join Him in His work. God brings the memories, He receives the thanks, He creates the joy in us, and we thank Him some more.

How would this “attitude of gratitude” and praying for those whom we remember change your prayer life?

After he tells them how often and what kind of prayers he offered Paul moves to one of the reasons he prayed for them and is probably another source of God’s joy in the process.

Philippians 1:6–8 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Why We Pray

I don’t know about you but just thinking about the truth of verse 6, I can understand the joy that Paul not only felt for the Philippians but for himself as well. He began a “good work” in us the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior. We did not earn that salvation and we do not earn “this work” being done in us yet He is going to complete it. We cannot become unsaved and we cannot become incomplete on that day. Now of course we are not complete now. As the kids song goes “God’s still working on me”. But knowing that I cannot thwart or stop this process, because I did not start it, is extremely helpful to me.

Knowing this about ourselves and other believers, how could this change our prayers for them?

Not only does this good and continuing work bring us joy and comfort, it pleases God too.

Philippians 2:13 ESV

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

His work pleases Him, and it is “good” because it is from God, and He continues it all through our lives so that we can be “complete” when we come to see our Savior face to face, either here on earth on “that day” or in heaven.

Does that truth remove any stress for you? Do you see all the “I must do” and “I have to” traps that God’s grace through Christ frees us from? If we do not see the growth in Christ that we “want” whose fault is it? What does that tell us about our “wants”? Jesus’ gift of grace frees us from so much more than the condemnation of sin but also from the bondage of the law - especially those laws we impose on ourselves.

One commentary I read put it this way-

The Applied New Testament Commentary Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:1–11)

When we look at ourselves and at each other, we can see that our lives are far from “complete” or perfect. But we must be patient both with ourselves and with each other. It takes time for fruit to ripen. In the same way, it takes time for God to perfect us and to make us holy

Paul feels that grace in his own life and it allows him to love as Christ loves, straight from the heart. This adds to his thankfulness I am sure and when remembers more of how the Philippians were “partakers” in his ministry.

Although Paul is in Rome and they are in Asia Minor, now Greece, they continue to strive together to accomplish God’s calling and work. Even though the believers in Philippi are gentiles and Paul is a Jew, he does not consider them any less a part of his ministry or the church of Christ.

Ephesians 3:6 ESV

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Paul takes this concept even further and says they participate with him in his bondage, defense and confirmation of the gospel. I think that this may be a part of what is missing in churches today. We have a lot of emphasis on sending people out and “witnessing” or sharing the gospel but very few programs for “defending” the gospel and keeping the principles of truth at the forefront of policies and governance. We do a lot of sending the gospel but not some much “keeping” it strong.

Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Paul’s Thanksgiving and Confidence (1:3–7)

We today might take the lesson to heart that the sign of our professed love for the gospel is the measure of sacrifice we are prepared to make in order to help its progress.

Our participation in the spread or progress of the gospel extends further than just the salvation message but also includes helping other understand the truths we looked at from verse 6 and encouraging the progression towards Christ-likeness in every believer. But how do we pray for that? Paul wrote it down for us.

Philippians 1:9–11 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

What to Pray

We pray for the Christ’s love to grow and our love for Him to grow in us so that we can be more like Him. Paul is in Rome writing to the Philippians. But in his letter to the Romans he worded this transformative process another way.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We must defend the gospel with discernment and knowledge but we also must do it with love. This is not always easy so having someone pray for you can be a great benefit. But we cannot defend what do not know and we will not be transformed into something we do not accept and work toward. This brings a strange dichotomy to our sanctification. God saved us and will bring us to completion but we are still to strive and work at becoming like Christ.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians & Philemon (Commentary)

On one hand, God is responsible for completing in the believers what he began, for it is his goal to conform every believer to the image of his Son, Jesus Christ (Rom 8:28–30). On the other hand, it is the believer’s responsibility to cooperate with God so that this work can be made complete.

What things are we to discern with this knowledge and love? That which is excellent. If you are not sure what those things are we will study them later in Chapter 4. But if we are working to be like Christ, then anything that is not like Him will not be worthy emulating, and that is excellent.

The writer of Hebrews says

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

We are able to discern, love, and approve because of the equipping and sanctifying work of Christ within us.

Although we are judicially already blameless before God by Christ's blood, on a day by day basis we are not so much. Part of knowing and discerning God’s will in our lives includes seeing ourselves in comparison to Christ and realizing where we do not measure up. At this point we much repent of our “sin” for missing the mark of perfection and turn to Christ and rely on His provided grace to help us overcome it. If we do this as often as God brings it to our attention then we too will be pure and blameless on “that day.”

Having this attitude of prayer, thankfulness and loving discernment becomes evident in our lives as it grows. This fruit of the Spirit or righteousness is also developed or “ripened” by Christ. This honors God and draws people into closer contact with Him as they see Christ’s attributes growing in us hopefully leading them to become fruit bearers also.

This prayer life and sanctification process is not an easy task. Another reason I am so glad it does not rely on me to finish the job! I found a good illustration of that struggle.

AMG Bible Illustrations (The Price of Spiritual Success)

The Price of Spiritual Success: A tersely expressed truth was the answer of the business man when his friend asked him if he had met with success in business. “Met with it?” he replied; “I should say I have not. All the success I have attained I had to run after.” Quite the same is true in our spiritual lives. Men and women do not meet the ideal casually. Neither do they become saints while they are asleep.

Being a follower of Christ is not easy. Or as the country preacher put it “The Christian life ain’t for sissies”. Thankfully we do not have to do it alone. We can, and should, have people praying for and with us and sharing in life and struggles with but ultimately we have Christ Himself praying for us and the Holy Spirit guiding us all the while God is transforming us.

Apply the Text

I like to close this morning time together with one of the devotional readings I had from this past week which really speaks to the truths of verse 6.

God is at work in you. Paul prays that the Philippian believers’ love for God would result in acts of love for others. This is where God wants to take them, and where God wants to take us as well. No matter what you face today, you can be encouraged that God’s good work continues in your life, even when you don’t see it. God continues his work right in the middle of that tough situation at work, or with your teenager, or that battle with your weight, or your struggle with discouragement. God moves you forward as you submit yourself to him. His presence and faithful work give us confidence. As you have that tough conversation with a friend, you can say to yourself, Christ is working right now to complete what he started in me. As you struggle with your finances, you can say to your spouse, “We can get through this because Christ is working right now to complete what he has begun in us.” When it seems that you are in a losing battle with sin, you can say, “I have hope for victory because Christ is working in me right now to complete what he has begun.” - Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp